My Last Breath
by u2fan2005
Summary: After Buffy hears from Andrew that Spike is alive, she heads to Wolfram and Hart to sort out some things. However, she doesn’t know that she is getting in the way of prophecy that wasn’t meant for her. SPUFFY...
1. Delivery

**My Last Breath**

**Chapter 1: Delivery **

**Summary: After Buffy hears from Andrew that Spike is alive she is has come to Wolfram and Hart to sort out some things. However, she doesn't know that she is getting in the way of prophecy that wasn't meant for her. **

**Rome**  
**Nighttime…**

Buffy hung up the phone. Her hand was trembling so much that she almost let the phone slip out of her fingers and fall onto the floor. She didn't know what to do, to feel, or to act. The Slayer just had to admit to herself that Andrew just changed her life forever with one single phone call. Hearing from the little comic book nerd with a burst of energy that Spike…_her_ Spike was alive and kicking in L.A for a while seemed to like a miracle sent from above.

The sound of the front door opening and closing was the only thing that could break Buffy from her sudden shock.

"Buffy…hey." Dawn said as she sat her keys down on the coffee table and join her sister in the living room of their apartment.

Dawn was all dressed up and her hair was curly. Her new style made her look so much older than she was in Sunnydale—a bit more mature.

"Hey." Buffy said softly.

Dawn noticed her sister's glossy eyes and pale expression immediately and it caused her heart to race a little bit in fright.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked instantly. From the past experience Dawn knew with her luck there was always something bad venturing around the corner. People that she loved died, went evil, or got hurt all the time, but every time it happened it didn't cause the hurt to be any less.

"Uhh…nothing." Buffy said and got up off the couch and stood.

"You're lying…what is it?" Dawn demanded.

"Andrew called." Buffy said. Dawn gave her a look to go on further with her explanation, "He…he told me…"

"What?"

Buffy looked up at Dawn—wanting to see her sisters face expression when she told her, "He said Spike…Spike was alive."

"What?" Dawn squealed and the tone of her voice read 'outrage', "That's cruel…how-why would he say that?"

"Because he saw him." Buffy said.

Dawn just stood there, taking everything in. 'He's alive?' Dawn thought to herself as her anger face melted away. 'So I guess everyone I know never dies.'

"He saw him?" Dawn whispered in disbelieve.

"Yeah…and I don't know what to do." Buffy sat back on the couch.

"What to do? Buffy, you're not going to go see him?" Dawn walked further into the apartment, in front of the couch to face Buffy.

"I don't know! Andrew told me…he told me Spike didn't want me to know he was alive." Buffy said, "That he wanted it to be a secret."

"Why would Spike want that? He loves you and you told him you loved him." Dawn said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I did…but look, I know I told you that when we down in the Hellmouth I told him I loved him but I left out one detail." Buffy took a little deep breath, "He said I didn't love him."

"WHAT?!" her voice went back to outraged in an instant once again. "What is it with you guys? First Spike wants you to love him and you don't and then when you start to love him he doesn't want your love…you guys are really messed up." Dawn said.

"Tell me about it. Things with Spike has always been complicated…even more complicated than Angel and Riley combined." Buffy admitted,

"Seriously you guys have so much drama that you can have your own movie or soap opera." Dawn mumbled and looked off to the side.

Buffy laughed, "Yeah…but who would watch that?"

* * *

Later that night Dawn was off in bed while Buffy was looking out the window that overlooked the small streets of Rome. Sleep didn't seem as important to her as she had a million little thoughts of a certain bleached blonde who was only a phone call away. Her thoughts of everything that happened for the past several years lingered in her head from the first time she meet him in the alley to her final moments with him. 

She thought it was funny how after seven years of battling evil, going out every night and dealing with demons, she was now standing inside an Italian apartment in the middle of the night worrying about only one vampire. If Buffy wanted to she could shut the door to the world she lived in…the world she so desperately when she was sixteen years old wanted to leave. She has money, she has a job, and she has everything she dreamed about in the palm of her hand…but she still wasn't satisfied.

* * *

The next morning Dawn walked into the living room in her pajamas to see a suitcase sitting on the couch. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes for a moment to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. And when Dawn was wide awake and still saw the suitcase laid out she called Buffy's name. 

"Buffy!" Dawn shouted.

"Yeah?" Buffy's voice asked from another room in the apartment and then she walked out from the bathroom with a bag full of shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. She had all the bare essentials of a person going on a week long trip.

"We going somewhere?" Dawn asked the obvious.

"Uhh…yeah…" Buffy said and put the bag in the suitcase, "I'm going to L.A."

"Just you?" Dawn asked.

"You got school and everything. This trip should really be me visiting…" Buffy told Dawn as she threw her toiletries loosely in her suitcase, "Andrew will be here in a few hours too…he's going to stay with you while I'm gone."

"ANDREW!" Dawn yelled in disguise.

"Please Dawn." Buffy begged, "Please…I got to do this. Just…just try and get along."

"But he's such a dork…he thinks he's so cool now that Giles gave him a coat with pockets where he can hide guns and candy bars." Dawn said and put her hands on her hips.

"Candy bars?" Buffy looked up at Dawn.

Dawn nodded and rolled her eyes.

"So is this more of I'm going yell at Spike for not calling you trip or a yell at Angel for being so evil and not letting you know Spike came back?" Dawn asked with a yawn and sat down on the couch.

Buffy thought about it for a moment, "I don't know…bit of both."

Dawn laughed, "You going to get into a fight with them and make them feel the guilt in there little souls?"

"Oh course! It's the highlight of the trip!" Buffy said as she zipped up the suitcase.

**L.A **

**Wolfram and Hart… **

**Science lab at Night…**

Knox was working alone late when he heard someone come down on the elevator just outside lab. And after a moment two men came in rolling in a big sandstone sarcophagus covered with five crystals, and a circular iris. Knox looks a little surprised by the delivery.

"Uhh…what's this?" Knox asked.

"Delivery." One of the men said.

"Ancient Relics is two floors down." Knox laughed nervously.

"Was addressed here to go to a Ms. Winfred Burkle." The man read off his clipboard and both of the guys turned to leave.

"Wait…wait don't I need to sign something?" Knox called out after the deliverymen.

"Already been taken care of." The man said without looking back.


	2. Up in the Air

**Chapter 2: Up in the Air **

**Airplane**

**Somewhere between Rome and L.A**

Buffy looked out the airplane window and saw the clouds for miles and miles below her. She knew she was over America because she no longer saw the Atlantic Ocean between the spaces of the clouds.

"Miss…" a voice said, but Buffy didn't take her eyes off the scenery outside her window.

"Miss…" the voice said again, and this time Buffy broke out of her trance.

"Huh?" Buffy looked up and saw the person next to her seat and a flight attendant staring at her.

"Were serving lunch now…I was wondering if you would like lasagna or chicken?" the flight attendant asked nicely.

"Oh…umm…lasagna." Buffy said with a small smile and then looked back out the window.

"I'll have the chicken." The woman sitting next to Buffy who was around the age of sixty said to the attendant and then turned to look at Buffy, "First time on a plane?" the lady asked.

"What?" Buffy looked at the woman, "Oh…no…um…no it's not."

"Oh, well I was asking since you seem a bit nervous." The lady stated.

"A little." Buffy said and looked down at her lap, "I'm going to see my ex-boyfriends…at the same time…" Buffy said and then started to examine what she was saying and realized how odd it seemed, "…together…"

"They get along?" the lady asked.

Buffy laughed instantly, "A big no…however they are working together." Buffy said with a confused look, "…it's a whole big mess."

"I see…" the lady said, "Then may I ask, why are you seeing them?"

"Good question." Buffy said, "Guess…I just…I think I need to do this." Buffy looked at the lady, "My last boyfriend…he…we left things sort of up in the air…and Angel…well…I think we need to talk some more about closure or something."

"Angel?" the lady asked, "Your one boyfriend is named 'Angel'?"

Buffy nodded with an 'I know, weird huh?' look.

"Well I hope everything works out." The lady said with a sympathetic smile.

"Me too." Buffy said with a nod and looked back out at the clouds drift by.

**L.A **

**Wolfram Hart**

**(A/N: If you notice this is a scene I added in the beginning of "Hole in the World") **

The elevator dinged. The doors opened and Fred, Wesley, Spike, and Angel stepped into the main lobby. Fred and Wesley are carrying a creepy demon while Spike and Angel were carrying swords.

"We'll meet up later after we take care of Mister Creepy Bug…thing here." Fred said to Angel as she and Wesley carried the bug off towards the lab. However Knox stopped both of them, "Knox…hey."

"Hey…let me take that." Knox said and took Fred's end of the demon.

"Oh thanks." She said with a smile; however Wesley didn't seem too pleased that he was still carrying the demon other end of the demon.

"There's a box…sarcophagus in the lab with your name on it." Knox said to Fred.

"Oh…okay…I'm going to get cleaned up and then take a look at this bug here." Fred glanced down at the bug Wesley and Knox are holding, "Then I'll start on the sarcophagus."

"Then dinner?" Wesley asked with a smile.

Fred blushed and smiled back, "Wouldn't miss it."

Both Spike and Angel started walking towards Angel's office, leaving Fred and Wesley.

Harmony came up to Angel with his '#1 Boss' mug full of blood.

"Here you go." Harmony gave Angel his cup and then noticed blood on Angel's shirt, "You get hurt boss?"

"Spike stabbed me." Angel said without looking back and went into his office and left Spike with Harmony.

"Heat of the battle Peaches!" Spike yelled out and started walking into Angel's office.

Harmony shrugged and went back to her desk.

The elevator dinged again and there was a pause before anyone came out. Buffy's head poked out of the elevator and looked around the lobby to see if she was in the right place. She stepped out with hesitation and began to too look around at the huge lobby. 'Angel works here!' Buffy thought to herself.

She mumbled out loud as she got a good look at the nicely decorated office, "Merciful Zeus."

Harmony sighed and raised her eyes up and saw Buffy looking around the lobby. Harmony's eyes widened.

Buffy eyes traveled from the second floor terrace to the main desk and saw Harmony staring at Buffy with wide eyes. Then Buffy's eyes too grew to the size of Harmony's.

"Harmony?" Buffy asked.

"Oh god…" Harmony said with panic.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked with a bit of an excusing tone in her voice as she started to walk towards Harmony.

"Uh…uh…umm…" Harmony stumbled with words and started to back up against the wall behind her desk in fear, "I…I work here."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "You what?"

"I work here…see…" Harmony moved from the wall closer to the desk and picked up one of her unicorns, "This is my stuff."

"I can clearly see that." Buffy said seeing Harmony's tacky unicorns and nail polish spread out on the desk.

"I'm the secretary here and I'm not killing people, I'm drinking pig's blood so please don't stake me. Angel hired me…well actually it was firm that interviewed me but still…" Harmony said quickly, trying hard to convince Buffy she shouldn't be killed.

"I see…where is Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Umm…he went into his office with Spike." Harmony said.

"Spi...Spike's here? So…he **is** alive?" Buffy asked and looked down at the desk top.

"Well not technically "alive" but…you know he's vampire with a soul." Harmony said, "He's no longer a ghost."

"Ghost?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you see—" Harmony was about to explain when Wesley voice interrupted her.

"Harmony can you---Uh… hello may I help you?" Wesley stopped when he noticed the girl.

Buffy turned and saw Wesley for the first time in years, "Wesley…?"

"Buffy…you're…you're here." Wesley said with astonishment.

"Yeah…" she laughed, "I'm here in this Buckingham Palace." Buffy said and looked up at the high ceilings.

"Yes…it's quit a big place…Wolfram and Hart has remodeled." Wesley explained, "But…why…are you here for Angel or…"

"Spike?" Buffy finished his question, "Yes, I know he's back…that's sort of why I'm here…"

"I understand." Wesley said, "Umm…they're going to be shocked you're here."

"Well they deserve a shock and a good but kicking." Buffy said.

Wesley raised an eyebrow at her comment as he led her toward Angel's office.

**Angel's Office…**

"It's bollocks, Angel! It's your brand of bollocks from the first to last." Spike yelled at Angel.

" No, you can't ever see the big picture. You can't see any picture!" Angel shouted back.

There passionate arguments were about mostly anything, a song, a movie, or a girl. However, they could go off onto any subjects that may or may not have significant meaning, such as 'If astronauts and cavemen got into a fight, who would win?'

In Spike and Angel's arguments if Spike chose white, Angel would choose black. If Spike picked an apple, Angel would pick an orange. If Spike said cavemen would win a fight against astronauts, it would be Angel to say astronauts would win.

"And that wins out every time with you." Angel said and walked up to Spike to get into his face, "You know, the human race has evolved, Spike!" and then Angel walked away.

"Oh, into a bunch of namby-pamby, self-analyzing wankers who could never hope to—" Spike said and made gestures with his hands as he talked and followed Angel around, mocking him.

"We're bigger. We're smarter. Plus, there's a thing called teamwork, not to mention the superstitious terror of your pure aggressors!" Angel said then turned to face Spike.

"You just want it to be the way you want it to be." Spike said.

"It's not about what I want!" Angel yelled, getting nose to nose with Spike.

Angel's door creaked open and revealed Wesley looked a little concerned and taken back at all the yelling, "Umm…is there something important we should all be informed about?"

"Uh…no…no." Angel said and moved away from Spike.

"It just seems important." Wesley said.

"Bloody right it is." Spike muttered under his breath as he back away from his grandsire.

"Shut up Spike." Angel said, "Is there something you need Wes?"

"You're just avoiding the fact that I'm right." Spike said.

"You're never right Spike." Angel said to Spike.

"Can't see what Buffy sees in you two…" Wesley mumbled.

Both Spike and Angel's ears perked up at the mention of Buffy's name and turned to Wesley.

"What?" Spike asked.

"What?" Angel asked.

"That's why I came in here…it seems we have a visitor." Wesley said and stepped aside to let the two souled vampires see Buffy standing outside the door of Angel's office.

Both Angel and Spike couldn't believe she was there, and they also couldn't believe two seconds ago they were just arguing about astronauts and cavemen while Buffy was only in the next room.

Buffy, Wesley, Angel, and Spike were silent for a moment. Buffy stared at Spike and he stared back at her. Angel stared at Buffy and then looked at Spike, and Wesley looked at all the members of the weird love triangle. Wesley started to back away from the door, trying to exit before he got caught in all the arguing that he knew was bound to happen in mere seconds.

"You…" Buffy said quietly to Spike, "You…you're…here."

"Buffy…" Angel started and began to walk towards her. Buffy's eyes turned to Angel, "Look, I know you're probably upset and everything but—" Angel didn't get to finish his sentence since he got a hard right hook delivered to his nose by Buffy.

Angel cringed and held his nose in pain. He checked to see if there was any bleeding before he raised look back up at Buffy.

"Upset?" Buffy asked, "I think I'm a little beyond that." She said.

**TBC…**


	3. Doubtful Love

**Chapter 3: Doubtful Love**

Angel continued to hold his nose in pain as Buffy continued stare at him with a hard look. Behind Buffy stood Spike, smirking away at Buffy's punch she gave to Angel.

"Good work luv." Spike nodded in approval.

By the sound of Spike's voice she turned around and gave a punch to Spike's nose too.

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed and rubbed his nose. Angel raised an eyebrow and started to smile, "What did I do?"

"What did you do!" Buffy exclaimed at Spike, "WHAT DID YOU DO! How could you ask me that?! Do you want me to punch you again?"

"Look Buffy, even though I enjoy you kicking Spike's ass...I think you should calm down." Angel said in a soft voice.

"Calm down!" Buffy exclaimed and walks away from both Spike and Angel. She wondered over to the office window to watch employees walk around in the lobby for a moment and then whips her head around to look at them, "Why don't you stop telling me what to do…both of you…that's what got you two in this mess in the first place. I'm not your puppet."

Spike had to smile at that comment about to puppet as he recalled the memory of 'Puppet Angel' for a second, but however just as quickly as the smile came on his face he had to frown again. It was no smiling matter when he was getting chewed out by the Slayer verbally.

"I don't want you two deciding what is and is not good for me." Buffy continued.

Spike and Angel shared a look of shame.

"I want to know why I didn't get a phone call…and why I wasn't informed about what the hell is going on over here…" Buffy said, glancing back and forth between Spike and Angel.

Spike and Angel opened their mouths to speak but nothing came out. They tried to search in the back of their minds a reason why they didn't call her, but they knew that their excuses were not good enough for Buffy to accept them. They figured that she would start punching them again if they came up with a lame remark.

"I thought we were all friends here…" Buffy said calmly.

"We are Buffy it's just…we wanted you to live your life…you were starting over and we just thought—" Angel started but Buffy cut right back in to interrupting him.

"Thought that I what?" she asked Angel and then turned to Spike, "Thought what Spike, that I wouldn't be happy to know that you were alive?"

"You don't seem happy now." Spike mumbled and looked down at his feet.

"How dare both of you hide something like this from me…" Buffy scolded both of them, near the verge of tears.

"Luv listen…" Spike walked closer, trying to give her a bit of comfort.

Buffy jumped back from Spike, "No…no…" Spike looked down in disappointment, "How could you tell Andrew and not me? Why didn't you want me to know?!" Buffy was crying now, not caring that that she was getting upset in the middle of Angel's office where any employee could come in and see her like this.

Spike paused and then whispered, "I don't know."

"Don't you want to be with me?" Buffy whispered out.

"That's not it…that was never the issue…it…it was…" Spike tried to think real hard for the right words, "…it was me being terrified…again."

Buffy sniffed and waited for Spike to continue. Angel just stood in the background, observing the private matter between them.

"I thought of so many times of jumping on a boat or stealing Angel's jet and going to see you, but I guess I didn't have the courage. I guess I was having doubts." Spike explained and walked slowly closer to her, "I was afraid."

Buffy smiled a little, "Spike, afraid?"

Spike smiled back at her, "Sorry to say it love but yeah…out of all the things in this messed up word I'm afraid of us…"

"You don't have to be." Buffy whispered back, saying the same thing she said to him months ago that one night in her kitchen that was lit by candles.

"Why's that?" Spike challenged her.

Buffy took a deep breath, "Because…with us…I don't doubt the way I feel about you. It's either I love you or I don't, no shades of grey in between."

Spike stared at her, waiting for her to come out and admit the three little words to him in front him again, and also with Angel in the room.

"You love him?" Angel asked quietly.

Buffy and Spike looked at Angel and then back at each other and Buffy started to smile and nod.

"Honestly? Yeah…I do."

Spike gave Buffy a sweet smile, and then he walk over and kissed her. And for the first time, Buffy didn't care who was in the room.

**TBC...**


	4. Making Up For Lost Time

**Chapter 4: Making Up For Lost Time**

**Later that night…**

Spike unlocked his apartment and opened the door. Buffy was by his side at the doorway looking around the dark and shallow apartment for outside in the hallway. They both seemed a little bit nervous as the stepped inside.

"I know it's not much to look at." Spike said as he walked in and set his keys down on his kitchen table.

"No…no…" Buffy said while walking across the threshold, "I mean it's a step up from your old crypt and my basement."

Spike let out a small chuckle and then he cleared his throat. An awkward silence hung over both of them.

"Uhh…you could sit down." Spike nodded over to his couch.

Buffy set her jacket down on the kitchen chair and walked over to the couch to take a seat, she looked up at him to see if he was going to sit with her but he just stood firmly in place. Her eyes drifted to the coffee table and saw two game controls.

"You play video games now?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

Spike chuckled, and then came over to the couch and sat at the far end. To Buffy it was still not close enough than she would like—he seemed that he was still sitting miles away.

"Yeah…gettin good too…I know that's one thing I could beat you at."

Buffy laughed, "Yeah right…"

"What to play?" Spike picked up a control and held it out for Buffy.

"Uh…Spike, I don't think you brought me to your apartment to play video games, I know you better than that."

Spike laughed and set the control back on the coffee table, "Right." He mumbled.

He looked down at his hands as another awkward silence passed. Buffy looked up at Spike, and examined him, wishing he would turn and face her. However, when he didn't look back she started to look around the apartment to the lack of things he had.

Spike turned and looked at Buffy, watching her look everywhere but at him. Then Buffy got the feeling he was staring at her and then she turned to face him.

Both of them stared at one another. Their eyes every once in a while would glance down at each others lips for a few seconds. And it was Buffy to make the first move; she moved over to his side of the couch and leaned in to meet his lips. And at that moment the kiss had became like electricity. It wasn't hard and demanding like it was in the past, it was more soft and sweet.

Both of them stayed in the same position for a few moments, not touching each other except for their lips. But after a while Spike couldn't resist not touching her anymore so he cupped her chin gently, and in return Buffy reached out and grazed her hand on his cheek.

And when they parted their foreheads were leaning on each others and hands holding one another. They didn't say anything at first, they just kept their eyes closed and breathing in small gasps from the lack of breath and excitement.

"We can take it slow if you want." Spike said when he opened his eyes to see she had opened her eyes also.

Buffy nodded; "Okay…" she said softly and leaned a little back so she could see him, "So…fresh start?"

Spike smiled, "Yeah…fresh start."

Buffy smiled and leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. Spike snaked his arm around her and kissed her the top of her head and began to stroke her arm. Both of them just sat their staring off into space.

**Late at Night at Wolfram and Hart Lab…**

Fred walked in the lab to find Knox the only one working.

"Hey." Knox said when he saw Fred.

"Hey." Fred gave a friendly smile and then reached out and grabbed her lab coat and put it on.

"So how was that demon bug thing you got this morning?" Knox asked while working on an experiment.

"Oh…I decided to hand over that case to some of the graduate students…" Fred said as she picked up at clipboard and started to read and flip threw some papers of her work. She looked over to the table and saw a huge sarcophagus and seemed interesting in it.

"Think their ready for that?" Knox asked.

"Not sure…maybe…I just want to get a work on this." She said while walking closer to the sarcophagus.

"She's quit a beauty huh?" Knox asked and walked up and stood by Fred.

"Where'd it come from?" Fred asked while she kept staring at the jewels that were on top of the lid of the sarcophagus.

"Not sure…some guy just delivered here the other night. It was addressed to you." Knox said and passed her the delivery form.

Fred read the paper and then looked back at the sarcophagus, "Well…umm…we should start on this tomorrow...its late."

"Right, right." Knox nodded and glanced down at the sarcophagus.

Fred gave him a friendly smile and then took off her lab coat, "It's been a long day…I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay…bye." Knox called out as Fred walked out.

Knox looked down at the sarcophagus and mumbled, "Tomorrow…" Knox gave a little bit of an eerie smile.

**TBC...**


	5. Stating the Facts

**Chapter 5: Stating the Facts**

**The Next Day…**

The elevator dinged in the lobby of Wolfram and Hart and the doors slowly opened to reveal Spike and Buffy laughing. Buffy took Spike's hand and pulled him out of the elevator and into the lobby.

"You sure you don't want to take the elevator for a spin again love?" Spike whined, obviously wanting to go back into the elevator alone with her.

"Come on…Angel is expecting us, besides I don't think security will be happy if you press the emergency stop button again." Buffy said as she pulled Spike towards Angel's office.

"Sod security, it was fun. Besides I did worse things when I was haunting this place a while ago." Spike said.

Buffy stopped walking and turned around towards Spike and put her hands on his shoulder and began to fuss with his lapels of his leather duster.

"How about I here more about this ghostly experience you had tonight…you…me…dinner?" Buffy looked into this blue eyes with a sweet smile.

"Dinner huh?" Spike smirked and started running his fingers through her blonde hair.

"Why not? I'll order you some _spicy_ buffalo wings." She whispered with a flirty smile.

"Now how could I turn an offer like that?" Spike asked and kissed her quick on the lips.

Spike slung his arm around her shoulder as they entered Angel's office.

"Hey Fred…Peaches." Spike said when he saw Angel talking Fred.

Angel shot a glare at Spike and then turned to Buffy, "Hi."

"Hi." Buffy said to Angel and then turned to Fred, "Hi…I believe we haven't met."

Fred smiled at Buffy, "Hi. I'm Fred." Buffy and Fred shook hands.

"Oh right…" Buffy nodded, " Willow mentioned you before. Nice to meet you I'm—"

"Buffy…I know." Fred said, "Angel and Spike both talked about you before…actually they talk about you a lot."

"Really?" Buffy seemed interesting, "Well Fred maybe one day we can hangout and talk about that."

"So what's up?" Spike asked Fred, changing the subject quickly.

"Well I was just about to head down to the lab and find out what is so significant about a sarcophagus that was sent to me a few days ago." Fred explained.

"A sarcophagus?" Spike mumbled.

"Yeah…apparently the delivery card had my name on it…but no return address. I guess the sender wanted to stay anonymous." Fred said to the group, "Kind of creepy."

"What are you going do with it?" Buffy asked Fred.

"Well…I guess perform some tests…maybe get it opened, see what's inside." Fred said, "To see why it was sent to Wolfram and Hart."

"It doesn't seem like balloons and puppies are going to be popping out…sounds dangerous." Spike said.

"Then I'll help." Buffy jumped in, "Dangerous is my middle name. Just point me in the right direction and—"

"Luv, you're on vacation." Spike rubbed her back, "You don't always have to jump on a case."

Angel seemed unnerved that Spike was touching Buffy and the fact that she was letting him. However he tried to not show his nervousness in front of the group.

"Spike, evil doesn't take a vacation." Buffy said, "Whenever there is something scary and creepy I'm there."

"But I don't know what you could do Buffy…you sure you want to help?" Fred asked, "It's nothing exciting…nothing that an experienced Slayer like you went up against in the past."

"Well I can lift things, Slayer strength you know. Besides I get jumpy if I don't do work." Buffy said, "So where's the lab?"

Buffy walked out the door and Fred looked at Angel and Spike, "She's certainly feisty." She took one last look at the two vampires and followed Buffy.

Spike smiled at Fred's comment about Buffy. He was about to turn around and follow Buffy and Fred down the lab when Angel's voice called out to him.

"Spike?" Angel said.

Spike turned around and looked at Angel, "Yeah?"

"Let's talk…" Angel said.

"Do you really mean talk… or fight?" Spike asked.

Angel thought for a moment, "Not sure…seems we end up fighting no matter what we do."

"True." Spike said and walked farther into Angel's office and sat down on the edge of the big desk and crossing his arms against his chest, "So…what do you want to talk about? Sports? Weather? Politics? Astronauts and cavemen? Oh and by the way…I asked Buffy about that on the way over here, and she picked cavemen." Spike smiled to himself.

"Oh I'm glad to see you two have so much in common. "Angel said sarcastically. "Let's cut the crap. You know want to talk about." Angel said.

"Is this the big speech where you tell me I'm no good for her and I don't deserve her and all that jazz?" Spike asked.

"Well…yeah…" Angel said.

"Well you can save it. You don't need to tell me something I already know." Spike said. Angel gave Spike a confused a look, so Spike elaborated, "I know I don't deserve her…" Spike spoke softly, "But she's here now and what's to be with me…and I'm not going to push her away, because guess what? I want to be with her too."

"It won't last." Angel stated.

Spike got up from the desk and walked closer to Angel, "Is that so? Do you have a magic crystal ball that tells you the future or something?"

"No…but this is like a fact…it won't last…" Angel said.

"No, you're not talking about fact…you're talking about experience…you two didn't last and you just think that we won't either." Spike said a little anger.

"That's right." Angel said, "Buffy and I had something so passionate and deep that you could never have with her."

"You are so full of it…when are you going to wake up and realized you were wrong for leaving her?! When you going to admit that the all mighty Angel made a mistake and I got a something special that's going for me?" Spike yelled, "You blew it!"

Angel didn't flinch or argue back. Spike just shook his head at his grand-sire and walked away without looking back.

"You're right." Angel mumbled to his self after Spike had left the room completely.

**TBC...**


	6. Breathe

**Chapter 6: Breathe **

Buffy and Fred walked into the Wolfram and Hart's lab and saw they weren't alone in the room, Wesley and Knox seemed to working too.

"Hey Wes…" Buffy smiled.

Wesley and Knox turned their attention to Buffy and Fred.

"Buffy…Fred…" Wesley smiled at both of them, "Thought Angel was coming too."

"He was…" Fred looked towards the door to see if Angel was coming.

"He's probably fighting with Spike; it's what they do best." Buffy looked over at the sarcophagus, "Is this it?" She started to walk towards it.

"Yep, that's it." Fred said.

Fred and Wesley stood back and watched as Buffy examined the whole parameter of the ancient sarcophagus closely.

"So…what happened to dinner last night? You…me…" Wesley said quietly to Fred without taking his eyes off of Buffy and the sarcophagus.

Fred turned around towards Wesley, "Oh my god…I honestly forgot. I'm so sorry."

Wesley laughed and looked at Fred, "It's alright. I'm sure you can make it up to me somehow."

Fred gave him a sweet smile, "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know…movie…my place…make out session." Wesley said.

"Wes!" Fred squealed in embarrassment, and looked at Knox and Buffy to see if they heard him and when she saw no one was looking she gave him a kiss on the lips.

While Fred and Wesley were being 'busy' across the room, Buffy was examining the pretty looking crystals that were onto of the lid cover of the sarcophagus. She seemed memorized by the crystals and moves her hand slowly to touch the iris. Then, before Buffy can react the iris opened and gust of air blew into Buffy's face. She instantly started to cough and wave the dust away from her face.

"Buffy?" Wesley asked in concern when he saw her coughing near the head of the sarcophagus.

"What happened?" Fred asked and set her hand on Buffy's arm in comfort.

Wesley rubbed her back, trying to get her to stop coughing.

Buffy pointed to the sarcophagus, "I don't know…the thing opened there was some sort of air…"

Knox walked over to the sink and poured a glass of water and came back and handed to Buffy.

"Here." Knox handed to glass to Buffy.

"Thanks." She said and drank the glass down.

Wesley and Fred looked over and saw that Buffy was right; the iris on top of the lid was opened for some reason.

Spike walked through the lab door, "So what's happened?"

Spike looked at everyone hovering around Buffy as if they were concerned for some reason, "What's going on?" he walked over to Buffy and the rest of the group.

"It's nothing…I'm fine." Buffy said and cleared her voice.

"The iris on the sarcophagus opened and there was something that came out of it…Buffy breathed it in." Fred explained.

"What?!" Spike shouted and started to panic.

"Spike, I'm fine…really…" Buffy reassured him.

"I don't know Buffy…I think we should have you checked…just to make sure." Wesley said.

"Right." Spike said and nodded, looking at the sarcophagus and trying to keep his cool.

"But—" Buffy tried to object but couldn't get a word out.

"But nothing luv…" Spike said firmly to her, "Where's the med-lab wing around here?" he asked Fred.

"Come on I'll show you." Fred said.

Both Buffy and Spike followed Fred out the door of the lab.

"What do you think happened?" Knox asked Wesley.

Wesley just kept staring down at the iris on the sarcophagus, "Not sure." He said, "But it can't be good."

**TBC...**


	7. The Last Peaceful Evening

**Chapter 7: The Last Peaceful Evening**

"Are you sure you're alright?" Spike glanced at Buffy as they exited the med-lab, "You don't feel dizzy or nauseous?"

They walked down the hallway towards the elevator.

"For the last time, I'm fine." Buffy said, "Don't you trust the doctors?"

"No, not really." Spike admitted, "Doctors don't always tell you the truth, and since this are Wolfram and Hart doctors then they must be lying on top of there lies."

"Spike they didn't find anything. I don't see what the big deal is, sometimes on patrol I inhale a bit of vamp dust by accident…" Buffy pointed out.

Once they got to the elevator Buffy pressed the 'Up' button and waited.

"Maybe we should get a second opinion. Maybe we could get some x-rays or some more blood tests…OR maybe…" Spike was going to continue but Buffy shut him up with a kiss. She kissed him long and hard, trying to make him calm down and put all his worries to rest. When she pulled away she smiled to see he was speechless.

'I just know what he likes.' Buffy thought to herself as she smiled at him.

"What were we talking about?" he whispered to her in a daze.

"Dinner…you…me…tonight." Buffy stated.

"Alright…" Spike smiled but then shook his daze away, "Hey, wait a minute…you distracted me on purpose!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed Spike's shoulders, "Spike…I'm fine…honest. Stop worrying." She whispered.

"When it's about you, I always worry luv…" Spike whispered back.

The elevator dinged and out came Angel worried and in a big hurry. He was about to run down the hall to the med-lab but he back tracked when he saw Buffy and Spike.

"I heard…" Angel said and came up to Buffy and Spike. Angel turned to Buffy, "You alright?"

Buffy sighed, "I'm fine! Will everyone stop worrying…please." She said and walked into the elevator.

Spike and Angel exchanged a glance with each other and then got into the elevator with Buffy.

* * *

Later that evening Buffy and Spike returned to Spike's apartment. Buffy came through the door seeming a little upset, she was carrying a bag of food in one hand. She set the bag down and turned to Spike and crossed her arms across her chest—giving him a sour look. 

"What!" Spike asked from her look.

"We couldn't even get through dinner without you making a fuss…I sneezed and you wanted to call the paramedics." Buffy threw up her hands in let out a big sigh.

Spike shut the door and walked up to Buffy with a little innocence face.

"Look...I'm sorry." He said softly and put his arms on her waist, "I'm sorry I embarrassed you but do you blame me? It's your first day out with that dusty stuff from the sarcophagus in your system…"

"You just know how to make a girl special don't ya?" Buffy sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down. Spike followed and sat down next to her. "So much for our first date…" Buffy mumbled.

Spike paused and thought about it, "That was our first date?"

Buffy laughed and looked at him, "What did you think it was?"

"Not sure…never really thought about it." Spike admitted.

"You never thought about it because your mind was preoccupied if I sneezed or coughed." Buffy shook her head.

"Sorry love…" Spike said and put his arm around her shoulder and started playing with her hair.

Buffy leaned closer into Spike and patted his knee, "Its okay…it's the best outing I had in a while actually…"

"So…you've been on dates after the crumble of Sunnydale…" Spike stopped playing with her hair and waited for her to answer.

Buffy moved her head to look him in the eye and saw him waiting for her to answer, "…what if I did…would you be jealous?" She whispered.

Spike sighed, "Well…yeah."

Buffy smiled and gave him a quick his on the lips, "Good...but to make you feel better you'd be glad to know I didn't go out on any dates…"

Spike breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Thank god."

Buffy laughed and kissed him again, but a little longer and more passionate. When they broke away Buffy noticed that both of them were laid out vertically on the couch with Spike on top of her. They didn't start kissing again but their lips were very close and the lust in their eyes looked like they wanted to kiss again.

"Thought we were taking it slow…" Spike said in a whisper.

"Me too…" Buffy whispered back, "Guess…this is as slow as we go…"

"You sure you want to—" Spike was cut off by Buffy kissing him again.

A few moments later when they broke apart Buffy said, "I love you…"

"I know…" Spike whispered with a smiled and went in for the kiss again.

* * *

While Buffy and Spike were making up for lost time with a night of passion, some action was also taking place in the Wolfram and Hart med-lab. However, there was no one in the lab to take note of what was happening-- all the employees turned in for the night. 

Inside a test tube was Buffy's blood sample, which was starting to act a little funny. The red blood began to boil like as if it were a pot of water on the stove. The boiling increased rapidly until the test tube couldn't take it anymore, and then the tube shattered.

**TBC……**


	8. Tumble and Fall

**Chapter 8: Tumble and Fall**

The next morning Knox went into the med-lab very early before anyone even came into work. He walked in and found a test tube broken on the floor. He went down and picked it and looked and saw Buffy's name printed on the side of the tube in red marker.

In about ten minutes he cleaned up the mess and got rid of the exploded tube. He took out from his pocket another test tube with Buffy's name on it and replaced it back in a tray along with other blood samples. Once Knox was done he slipped out of the med-lab, unnoticed by anyone.

* * *

**2 Weeks Later….**

The elevator in the Wolfram and Hart lobby dinged. The two doors slide open to reveal Buffy dressed up in training clothes and talking on her cell phone.

"I know Dawn, I know…" Buffy said on the phone as she exited the elevator and started walking across the room toward Angel's office, "…well, if Andrew does it again you have permission to break every one of his little action figure toys…I'll call you later when I talk to Spike about the whole are-you-coming-Rome-to-be-with-me thing…" Buffy paused at Angel's office door, "Oh he'll come…do you really think he'll pick Angel over me?"

Buffy laughed at something Dawn said on the other line and then said to be good and goodbye as she walked into Angel's office.

"Wes…Gunn…" Buffy looked around the office and only found Wesley and Gunn talking, "What happened to Angel?"

"Oh he's off handling a little crisis downtown." Gunn said.

"Crisis? Should I be concerned too?" Buffy asked.

"No…Spike went with him…" Gunn said.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "Voluntarily?"

Gunn paused, "Actually I'm not sure…I think it was by accident. They were arguing about astronaut and cavemen thing again…"

"Still! God…are they crazy?" Buffy paused, "It's cavemen." Buffy mumbled.

Gunn and Wesley raised an eyebrow at her small response.

"Anyway…I was going to go train…care to join?" Buffy smiled, hoping one of them would cave and she wouldn't have to train alone.

"Uhh…no thanks…" Gunn said, "Got a case in fifteen minutes…"

"I thought you were the fighter type…hence the name 'Gunn'." Buffy said.

Gunn laughed, "I feel more comfortable doing what I'm doing now…see ya Buffy." Gunn said and walked out of the off.

Buffy turned to Wesley, "So…how about you?"

"I would love to but…I actually have a…a date." Wesley mumbled.

"A date?" Buffy smiled, "Wessss….so who's the lucky girl?"

Wesley was about to answer when Fred walked into the room.

"Oh…hi." Fred said, "Umm…" Fred seemed a little nervous about Buffy being around when she was going to mention Wesley about their lunch date.

Buffy exchanged glances between Fred and Wesley and caught what was going on quickly.

"Oh…" Buffy nodded, "Well I'll be going now." Buffy walked out the office leaving Fred and Wesley alone.

Fred and Wesley heard Buffy mumbled as she exited, "Probably talking sexy smart dirty talk as soon as I leave." Fred and Wesley looked down to the ground in embarrassment.

* * *

Buffy absolutely loved Wolfram and Harts training room, to her everything was new and shiny. During the whole workout she had a smile on her face and seemed to never want to leave, she was having too much fun working with the electronic moving punching bag dummy. Every couple of punches she let out a laugh about how silly it must look at what she was doing. 

"I see you have a favorite toy in here now." A voice startled Buffy. Without looking she turned off the machine and faced the voice, who was Knox.

"Umm…yeah…it's pretty cool." Buffy said with a small smile, "Uhh…who are you again?"

"Knox…I work with Fred—" he started.

"Yeah, down in the science lab." Buffy finished his sentence, "Yeah…so…what you doing up here?"

"Oh just seeing how you are? Are you feeling okay?" Knox stepped closer.

Buffy rolled her eyes but still had a smile on her face, "I swear if someone asks me that again, I'm going to make them the replacement of this electric dummy here."

"Well I was just checking…curious…" Knox said, "Science and all that…we're still trying to figure that thing out."

"I see…but you guys don't have to get all weird and protective of me. Hello Slayer here!" Buffy said, "Besides the med-lab said my tests were extremely normal…"

Knox nodded and smiled, "You're right…I'll…I'll let you get back to your training then." He started walking away towards the door.

"Knox…." Buffy stopped Knox in his tracks, "…Thanks for your concern…." Buffy said softly.

Knox turned to her and gave her a small smile, "Just doing my job Ms. Summers." He said and left out the door.

* * *

Upstairs in the lobby the elevator dinged and out exited Spike and Angel. 

"I don't know what Buffy sees in you…" Angel mumbled as he walked towards Harmony's desk.

"Well I don't see what dog girl sees in you…" Spike said as he followed Angel behind, "She must love the big ass type fellows who like to cry all day long and turn into puppets."

"Hey!" Angel turned around quickly to Spike and spoke quietly to him, "Will you shut up…and don't mention that to Buffy."

Spike instantly smiled, "Already did…"

Angel glared daggers at Spike and then turned around towards Harmony, "Any messages?"

"Uhh…no not really. Buffy was by early looking for you." Harmony said while filing her nails.

"Really?" Both Spike and Angel said together which made them look at each other.

"Now why would she looking for you?" Spike asked, "She's my girlfriend."

"I know…" Angel said in a childish voice, "She just…probably maybe…wanted to see me….for some reason."

Spike rolled his eyes, "The only reason she would call you again is to take brooding lessons."

* * *

In the training room Buffy was taking a water bottle break. She was sitting on bunch of gymnastic mats. Once she was done sipping her water she looked around the room and noticed her vision was a little blurry. Buffy blinked a few times to see if she could see clearly but it seemed that it didn't help. 

Then out of nowhere she felt dizzy spell overtake her and made her fall to her knees. She stayed down for a moment and kept her head still because the dizziness made her sick in the stomach. Buffy looked around the training room and saw that the equipment through her eyes appeared to spinning. She shut her eyes quickly to make it stop.

'What's happening?' was Buffy's as she brought herself to her feet.

* * *

"And what can you provide for her huh?" Angel shot out, "Your poor taste in clothes and music?" 

"Poor taste in music?" Spike laughed, "Look who's taking…you like Barry Manilow."

"What are you two fang boys bickering about now?" Gunn said as he walked into the lobby.

"Oh Angel was just defending Barry Manilow." Harmony smiled.

Angel turned to Harmony and gave her a hard glare.

"What?" Harmony asked with an innocent voice, "You were!"

"What' up Gunn?" Angel turned back to Gunn, "Trouble?"

"Not sure…security wants me to go down and check something interesting they found on their video tapes." Gunn said.

The elevator door in the lobby dinged in the background.

"Interesting in what sense—", Angel started and was interrupted by Harmony.

"Oh my god!" Harmony said and got up off her seat.

Gunn, Spike, and Angel looked at Harmony and saw she was staring at the elevator. All three guys turned and saw Buffy in the elevator collapsed on the ground.

"Oh god…" Gunn mumbled.

Spike and Angel rushed towards the elevator and kneeled by Buffy's side.

"Buffy?" Spike asked and tried to check her for injuries but saw she looked perfectly fine, "Buffy!" He tried again but she still didn't answer.

Spike kept calling her name and his eyes focused on her. He didn't notice that Angel was shouting orders to get doctors and a stretcher.

**TBC...**


	9. Promise Me

**Chapter 9: Promise Me**

Buffy lied still in one of Wolfram and Hart's hospital beds, and as her eyes were closed; she heard people in the distance talking. The voices seemed to keep getting louder gradually and made her open her eyes to see what was happened.

Her eyes were still a little blurry from some unknown reason but she still could make out the group of people that stood in her room, talking quietly with one another and to doctors.

Towards the door Buffy saw Fred, Angel, Lorne, Wesley, and Gunn gathered together as a group, unaware of her being awake. She was just going open her mouth and ask where Spike was until she looked out the corner of her eye and saw that he was sitting in a chair near her bed with his head bowed down a little.

"This can't be good." Buffy said. Her voice was a little squeaking from not talking for a while.

Spike's head instantly shot up and looked at Buffy. Angel's team also heard her small voice and turned their attention to her.

"Buffy…" Spike said, "…god love you scared the hell out of me…"

"Buffy, how do you feel?" Angel stepped to the other side of Buffy's bed.

"What…what happened to me? What's going on?" Buffy started questioning.

"You don't remember?" Fred asked frowned.

Buffy glanced at everyone's sad faces and then asked the group, "No…you guys tell me."

"You fainted…you're over worked…maybe dehydrated when you were working out." Angel said, which made him feel guilty for the lie he just told.

"Dehydrated? Angel, I have been through seven apocalypses and some how I'm still standing…I think it takes a little more than lack of water to make me go down." Buffy said softly.

Angel didn't respond. He just looked down at his shoes.

Buffy looked over to Spike, "It's bad isn't it?"

"No it's not…" Spike said.

"It's the sarcophagus isn't it?" Buffy asked and turned from Spike to Fred and Wesley.

No one respond.

"Guess I was wrong…guess that thing was something to worry about." Buffy said and she looked down at her hands and she noticed they were paler than usual.

"Luv, whatever is going on we will fix it..." Spike said.

Buffy slowly turned to Spike and lifted her eyes to meet his, "You can't be sure about that…"

"Yes I am…I promise we will find the cure." Spike whispered and leaned in and touched her cheek with his hand.

"You promise?" Buffy asked, sounding vulnerable and like a small child.

"Promise…" Spike said and forced himself to smile for her.

Buffy matched his smile and reached out and stroked his cheek.

* * *

Outside in the hallway Fred, Wesley, Lorne, Angel, and Gunn are talking quietly. Spike exited Buffy's room and all the members of the group caught the anger, fear, helpless, and fire that absorbed his eyes. 

Spike turned to Angel, "Tell me what the hell is going on…now."

Angel was taken back by Spike's voice and a little terrified.

Angel looked to his group and then back to Spike, "All the doctors are pointing at the sarcophagus. Whatever has a hold on her is mystical…"

"Angel what's happening to her…you talked to the doctors." Gunn said.

Spike turned back to Angel, "What'd they say?"

Angel had his eyes on the ground, not barring the news himself and telling Spike too. However he pushed his fear away and looked dead straight into Spike's eyes, "Her organs are cooking."

Wesley and Gunn faces cringed and looked down as if they were already defeated. Fred slowly put her hand over her mouth in horror as Lorne shut his eyes as if in pain.

Spike however didn't blink nor change his face expression. To Spike, it has seemed as if the last few minutes Angel has been speaking a foreign language.

Angel looked around at his crew, "Look you guys I know you all feel like you might lose it but right now is not the time to be upset…we need to work the problem…" Angel looked at Spike.

Spike shook off his daze feeling and then inhaled deeply. He looked up at Angel, "I made a promise Angel…" Angel swallowed and continued to listen to Spike, "I'm not losing her."

"So lets not." Angel said softly.

Even though both the vampires were determined they still had doubts, after all, they lost her once before.

**tbc...**


	10. Desperate Times

**Chapter 10: Desperate Times **

Everyone had their assignments and had taken action immediately after learning Buffy's condition. Gunn decided to travel to the White Room to see what he can find out about Buffy's fate. Wesley and Fred went down to the lab and conducted tests on the sarcophagus and to try to find a cure for Buffy. Lorne made everyone he came in contact with in the halls of Wolfram and Hart sing their soul out, seeking out any traders among the employees. And Angel and Spike did what they did best--fight with their heart instead of their head.

The door of Eve's bedroom burst open with a sudden kick. Spike and Angel stepped forward and right behind them Lorne stood.

Eve scrambled to the corner of her bed in her pajamas when the guys walked in. The three of them thought it was such a pitiful site.

"What…what do you want?" Eve asked, popping her head from behind her covers that she clunched around her body.

"Buffy to be alright and not sick is what I want." Angel answered, "Why don't you tell us what's up Eve."

"Buffy? Who's that?" Eve asked. Clearly she had been around Wolfram and Hart when Buffy came into the picture and never met the legendary Slayer.

"More of a woman than you'll ever be." Spike said firmly.

Usually Eve was terrified of Angel's snippy come backs but now...now her fear was directed to the bleached vampire.

"I—I don't understand." Eve shook her head, "I didn't do anything."

"Sarcophagus Eve…it was sent to Fred and we want to know by whom." Lorne spoke up for the first time since he entered the room. He walked towards Eve and sat down on her bed side. "You see a sweet little sugar pie of a girl has been an innocent victim of whatever lied inside this coffin and she is now seriously ill…now you are going to sing for me or we'll rip your throat out….oh and singing anything by Diana Warren will result in your gruesome death—except for 'Rhythm of the Night'."

"I swear it wasn't me." Eve pleaded.

"Sing." Angel demanded.

All three guys waited. Eve sighed and opened her mouth and began to sing 'Hero' by Mariah Carey, "There's a hero….If you look inside your heart."

Lorne interrupted, "She's clean." He got up off the bed and walked towards Spike and Angel.

"You sure?" Angel asked.

"Not quite but she has nothing that I'm picking up on…" Lorne said

The three guys turned to leave but Eve yelled out, "Wait!" They turned towards her and waited for her to speak. "I want to help..."

"Then get your Senior Partners to help us." Angel stated.

"They can't…" Eve said.

"Can't or won't?" Spike spoke up.

"They can't…for real…If you're talking about a sarcophagus then that doesn't match our records….except the ones before…the old ones." Eve explained.

"You mean before human kind…with the original demons?" Angel asked.

"But they were driven away." Lorne provided.

"Not all of them." Eve stated, "And the ones that stayed had been fighting and killing each other all the time. But they don't die the way we do…tell Fred and Wesley to look up in the oldest scrolls…the text that is forgotten. Look under the 'Deeper Well'."

* * *

The elevator of the lobby dinged and out exited Lorne, Angel, and Spike. They all walked towards the middle of the lobby. 

"Lorne go down to the lab and tell Fred and Wes the update and get them cracking on that text." Angel ordered.

"You got it." Lorne said and started back into the elevator.

Angel turned to were Spike was standing, "And Spike—". He stopped when he noticed that Spike was already traveling up the stairs, going to see Buffy in the medical wing.

* * *

Spike looked inside Buffy's room from the doorframe. He noticed that a heart monitor was now hooked up to her that wasn't there before. As a doctor was walking down the hallway and passing Buffy's room, Spike grabbed him by the arm and slammed him up against the wall hard. The doctor cringed in pain and dropped his charts to the ground. 

"What's the purpose of the monitors? And why is she alone in here?" Spike growled and pointed inside Buffy's room.

"They are just for precaution…and I'm not sure who was watching her." The doctor acted like he was too involved for Buffy's case.

Spike took notice that the doctor was acting like Buffy was not a big deal and it made him anger. Spike pushed the doctor against the wall harder and held his neck. "I want your best doctors here with her twenty-four seven….do you bloody well hear me or do you need more convincing?"

Somehow the doctor shook his head while still being held by his neck. Spike let go of the doctor and went into Buffy's room and directly to her side. He noticed that she looked even paler than when he left her an hour ago.

"Buffy?" he whispered.

She fluttered open her eyes and turned to Spike, "Any good news?"

"We got a lead…" Spike said and tried to smile for her but it didn't seem at all convincing for her.

"Do you have to go away again?" She asked sadly.

"No…I'm going to stay here with you…I'll let Angel take care of the rest." Spike said as he stroke her hair lightly and grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze. He had to hide his fear when he felt her hand was as cold as his.

"It's okay…you do what you have to do…" Buffy said sounding weak with ever word she spoke.

"I'm not leaving your side." Spike reassured.

"I'll be okay…all you'll be keeping company if you stay is a splotchy girl...two heads are better than one to solve this mystery…even if it is yours and Angel's." She tried to make a joke and let out a little laugh but neither one of them did. Buffy just felt too weak to laugh and Spike just seemed too stressed out.

"Spike…" Spike turned around when he heard his voice being called. He saw Angel and Gunn standing at the door.

"Go…" Buffy said.

"I'll be as quick as can be…" Spike said and leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be still here…maybe…" Buffy said with a little emotion.

"Hush…" Spike said and ran his hand across her cheek before getting up and leaving.

* * *

Outside Buffy's room Gunn and Angel waited for Spike. 

"What's the news?" Spike asked once he got in the hallway.

Gunn and Angel exchanged a look.

"We got word by security that something weird is on one of the security tapes in the med lab…" Gunn said.

"Weird as in…" Spike said.

"As in…it looks like one of our own has been double crossing us…Buffy's blood sample was replaced in the lab with a fake…it was caught all on tape." Angel said.

"By who?" Spike asked, waiting for a name to be mention so he can jump at the chance to kill someone.

* * *

The elevator dinged in the lobby and out stepped Knox in his lab coat, ready to find out what's going on. However as soon as the doors slide open he was greeted by the hard cold stares of Angel, Spike, and Gunn. 

Knox glanced back and forth from each guy. "What's up?"

**TBC….**


	11. Treason

**Chapter 11: Treason**

If looks could kill Knox would be cut up in a million pieces before he was able to hit the ground and scream out in agony.

"What's going on?" Knox asked glancing at each face.

"Why don't you tell us?" Gunn spoke up harshly.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Knox said with a slight stutter in his speech.

Spike let out a growl and grabbed Knox and pinned him up on the wall. A few employees that were walking in the lobby took notice of the scene. Everyone stopped and watched the vampire pick up the science geek roughly with ease and shove him into a wall.

"The game is over…no more lying." Spike growled.

"Game? What game? I didn't do a thing." Knox defended himself.

Angel let Spike continue to pin Knox up on the wall. Actually, Angel was wishing that he was the one doing all the physical abuse at the moment.

"Start talking." Spike said.

"Let me go!" Knox shouted, "Angel…Gunn?"

"Not your bodyguard anymore Knox…do as Spike says before I jump in and handle you myself…oh, and FYI my way of handling things involves squeezing of eyeballs and knives." Angel said.

"What's happening to Buffy?" Gunn asked.

Knox turned and looked at Angel, "She's dying." He choked out best he could while still being a little bit choked by Spike.

Spike vamped out and looked like he was going to go in for the kill; taking Knox's neck as prisoner.

"Spike don't!" Gunn stepped forward, "We need him alive."

Knox let out a little gasp as Spike pulled his face back to look at him with his yellow demon eyes.

"You did this didn't you? You wanted to kill her didn't you?" Spike yelled and tightened his grip on Knox.

"No! No…I didn't want Buffy to be the one." Knox quickly said to Angel. He also kept an eye on Spike from the corner of his eye.

Gunn thought about what Knox said for a moment, "The one?" Gunn spoke up.

Angel turned and looked at Gunn. "Huh?"

Gunn looked back at Knox, "If Buffy wasn't 'The One' then who is?" Gunn asked.

Everyone turned to look at Knox, who at the moment looked like a frightened rat.

* * *

A doctor exited out of Buffy's room with his clipboard. Buffy was lying in the bed lying very still. However, all of a sudden she starts squirming under her covers. She tossed her head from side to side on her pillow in a thrashing moment, acting as if she was under some uncontrollable force. Then as quickly as she started squirming, she stopped and opened her eyes.

* * *

Wesley and Fred were working down in the lab when Angel, Knox, Gunn, and Spike came through the door. Gunn pulled out a chair and Angel pushed Knox down to make him sit in the seat. 

"What's going on?" Fred asked after seeing how poorly everyone was treating Knox.

"Seems that Knox has something to tell us." Gunn said to Fred and Wesley.

"Angel aren't we suppose to working on Buffy's case—" Wesley started.

"Knox is involved in Buffy's case." Angel interrupted.

There was a silence in the room. Fred and Wesley expressed their confusion on there face and turned to Knox.

"Knox?" Fred whispered.

Knox looked up and met Fred's disappointing eyes for the first time he entered the room.

"What did he do?" Wesley asked while shooting an untrusting glance at Knox.

"Buffy wasn't supposed to get what's coming to her…it was for you." Knox said to Fred.

Fred blinked a couple of times in disbelieve, "I…I…" she couldn't even make a proper sentence, she was so stunned.

Knox was too busy looking at Fred that he didn't realize a fist was coming towards his left cheek. Knox fell out of his chair and onto the ground. Everyone looked up and saw the owner of the fist was Wesley. He was still clenching his fist.

Knox quickly got up off the floor and moved away from the group. He moved towards to sarcophagus and went around it as if using it for protection from the Angel and his group.

"Look, look…I'm not the only one involved in this…I just play a part." Knox explained.

"One part too many, Knox." Angel growled.

"Look, I chose you because you were worthy." Knox said while looking at Fred lovingly, "I love you, Fred…I wanted you to be a part of this."

Fred stared at Knox as if he was crazy. She backed away from him and stood closer to Gunn and Angel.

"Part of what?" Gunn asked.

"It's the rebirth of the great goddess…" Knox started.

"Illyria." Wesley interrupted. Everyone turned to look at Wesley, "The text said the goddess is Illyria, a great monarch and warrior of the demon age murdered by rivals and left adrift in the Deeper Well."

"Until now." Angel said and turned to Knox, "You delivered this fucking thing to firm didn't you?!" he asked as he pointed to the coffin.

"This is not all my fault Angel…this was set in millions of years ago and there is no way that you can stop it." Knox said.

Spike and Angel glared at Knox. Before either one of them could say a word the labs doors burst open and a doctor came running in and causing everyone to turn their attention to him.

"I'm-I'm sorry to disturb you all, but it's regarding Ms. Summers." The doctor said.

* * *

Buffy exited into the alley way stumbling and looking ill. She had to hang on to the brick wall as she let out a couple of coughs. Buffy stood up straight and tried to look down the dark alley but her eyes were getting blurry again. 

And down the same alley way two vampires were talking with one another until they noticed Buffy. They both let there fangs show when they smiled; seeing a helpless girl appear right before them made them think it was there lucky day.

**TBC…**


	12. All Torn Up

**Chapter 12: All Torn Up**

The two vampires in the alley kept their eyes directed on Buffy.

"Doesn't she look tasty?" one of the vamps said to the other.

"Ya…" the other vamp laughed, "I love it when they're all helpless and seem to walk right to me…sort of like they want to die."

Buffy coughed a couple more times. She covered her hand over her mouth as she coughed, and when she drew her hand back she saw that she had coughed up blood. Her eyes widened at the sight of her own blood stained on her hands.

"What's the matter? Sick?" one of the vampires yelled down to Buffy.

Buffy looked up and down the dark alley and saw two vampires advancing to her.

"Ya…." The other vampire laughed, "You need a Kleenex? Some medicine? With can take your temperature if you like."

Both of the vampires laughed. Buffy leaned up against the brick alley wall and slide down it to the ground.

One of the vamps crouched down to Buffy and ran his hand through her hair, "I know what you need…just the right antidote." The vampire tucked Buffy's hair behind her shoulder and let Buffy's bare neck be revealed. He leaned forward, "Just let me help you…" he said softly.

"I think you are going to be the one that will be needing the help." Angel's voice came out of no where.

The vampire jumped up and turned around to be faced with Spike and Angel. The vamp looked to the side and saw his vampire partner backing away slowly. Spike, out of no where, pulled a crossbow from behind his back and aimed it at the drifting vampire and fired perfectly into the heart. Once the one vamp was dust, Spike turned back to the other vampire that was about to bite Buffy. Spike slowly raised the crossbow at the vamp.

"Step away from her." Spike's words were like pure evil.

The vamp snickered, "Why? You guys are vamps too…she's just a worthless—" the vampire didn't get another word in. Spike fired the crossbow and the vamp was dust in seconds.

Spike's face changed to from murderous rage to worry when he saw Buffy. He kneeled down next to her and took her hand, "I'm here luv, let me help—"

"No…" she said. Her breathing was heavy and rather horsy. "I-I can do it myself." Buffy grabbed the wall behind her to support herself and got up. It took her some time, but she managed to get up on her own two feet. Angel and Spike watched her with a frown.

"I-I can't be like this." Buffy said, "I-I need to kill what did this to me." She started to go down the alley but Spike stopped her before she could take a step.

"Buffy you need rest." Spike said with begging eyes.

"No I need to slay. That's what I do….that is how I fix problems…" Buffy said.

"Whatever is happening to you, we will a way to stop it. I swear." Angel said and looked at Buffy.

"I need to work the problem Angel." Buffy said while looking Angel straight in the eye. After a moment she started to cough and get shaky.

"Buffy you need to lie down." Spike said.

Buffy stopped cough and cleared her throat, "No!" she burst, "I am not going to be the victim in this. I am not the case! I am not going to be cut down by some flu. I am better than this! I fought through seven apocalypses, died twice already and somehow I'm still standing!"

Buffy's shouts turned to cries. She looked up at Angel and Spike and whispered, "In all my years of fighting…I've never been so scared." A few tears fell down her cheek.

After a few moments Buffy's legs gave out and she started to collapse to the ground. Spike caught her and shifted her in his arms and looked to see if she was conscious. She wasn't.

Spike turned to Angel, "She's starting to feel colder."

* * *

Angel peeked in the hospital room and saw that Buffy was laying safely in one of the beds. Spike was also in the room, sitting in a chair near the bed. 

"Angel!" Wesley called out.

Angel turned around and saw Wesley coming towards Angel with a book in his hand.

"I found more information on the Deeper Well." Wesley started.

"Tell me." Angel stated.

"Seems it's a burial ground for the old ones. It's located in England, in the Cotswolds. When Spike said Buffy's body temperature was getting extremely colder than usual….well that's to be expected. Her body will stay cold so it can harden and become…well like a shell." Wesley glanced up at Angel and noticed no emotion, so he continued, "She is being hollowed out so this thing…Illyria. Everytime that Buffy is feeling now is because she is being prepared for Illyria's presence. And once all of this is complete…Buffy will—Angel, she's going to die."

There was a moment's pause between them. Angel glanced back into Buffy's room and saw Spike at Buffy's side, looking as if he would never leave her.

"Not today." Angel mumbled while looking at Buffy in the bed. Angel turned back to Wesley, "Not to them." Wesley was surprised that Angel was referring the 'them' part to Buffy and Spike.


	13. A Hole in the World

**Chapter 13: A Hole in the World **

Gunn tightened the knots that were made around Knox, who was tied to a chair in the lab.

Fred and Lorne stood across the lab room observing from a distance.

Lorne glanced away for a moment and turned to see Fred's sad face, "You okay?" he asked with concern.

"It was supposed to be me." Fred answered with a sigh. She kept her eyes locked on Knox.

Lorne frowned and looked down at his colorful shoes, "I know." He let out a deep breath.

Fred continued, "Everything that is happening to Buffy was meant for me…I-I just can't seem to grasp that." She whispered as tears started to roll down her cheek.

"Listen…sweetie…maybe you shouldn't think too much about—" Lorne started.

"Buffy means so much to so many people." She interrupted, "And for some reason… I feel as if I'm the one that should be lying in that bed."

"Don't say that." Lorne said and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I should get back to work." She said quickly and turned away and walked into her office.

As soon as Fred exited into her office to be alone, Wesley walked into the lab.

Gunn turned his eyes from Knox to Wesley, "Hey, how is it going upstairs? Did they—"

"They found Buffy." Wesley answered.

"Good…how is she doing?" Gunn's face cringed, he was expecting bad news.

"Bad…I'm thinking if Buffy was a normal girl she would be dead by now." Wesley said.

"So you thinking her being a Slayer is helping her stay alive?" Lorne asked.

"That's my theory…however…on the downside this means she is going through a slow and painful…end…" Wesley said. He didn't want to say the word "death". He couldn't say it, not after he had to say it to Angel upstairs.

Lorne and Gunn exchanged a look and then turned back to Wes.

"How are Spike and Angel taking it?" Gunn asked.

* * *

Buffy opened her eyes and squinted at the semi-bright lights that were coming from a small table lamp in the room. The lamp was barely making any light at all in the room but to her it seemed to bright for some reason. 

"Buffy?" Spike whispered when he saw awake.

"The light…"she squinted in pain.

Spike reached to the table and turned off the lamp next to him. The only light that was now coming into the room was coming from the hallway.

"Where am I?" Buffy whispered in a weak small voice.

"Back in the Wolfram and Hart medical room." Spike answered.

"Wolfram and Hart?" she questioned "Why are we here…what about Sunnydale?" she seemed to be half awake. However, she was still serious about her question about Sunnydale.

Spike seemed confused, "Love, you know Sunnydale is gone." Spike whispered and rubbed her hand.

Buffy looked at Spike and paused, seeming like she was collecting her thoughts, "Oh…right…" Buffy then closed her eyes and went back into a deep sleep again.

Spike hung his head in exhaustion and frustration when he saw her close her eyes. 'She must be delusional if she can't remember where she is…her memory is slipping.' Spike thought to himself. He glanced back up at her sleeping form, hoping the next time she wakes that she won't forget who he is.

* * *

Angel sat in the Wolfram and Hart jet plane clinging to the arms of his seat. He never had been up so high in the air. He glanced down at his watch and noted that he should be landing soon. He felt bad that he didn't tell everyone he was leaving but he trusted that Wesley would pass the message around that he was going to the Deeper Well. 

'Trust.' Angel shook his head at his own thought.

'Trusting people is what got me into this mess in the first place.' Angel noted to himself, 'You really can't trust anyone anymore it seems.'

* * *

Spike entered the lab in an anxious manner. 

"Spike." Wesley announced his presents first, he was sort of surprised to see the bleached vampire away from Buffy's side, even if it would be for a few moments.

Spike didn't give a single glance at the gang. He just went straight to Knox and punched him in the chair, making it tumble over with Knox still strapped in.

"Spike!" Gunn shouted and quickly ran in front of Spike, blocking his body from the evil scientist.

"You don't deserve to breath." Spike growled over Gunn's shoulder at Knox.

"I'm sensing Illyria is almost here." Knox said while still on the floor.

Wesley, a few feet away, walked over to Knox and kicked the chair, "Shut your bloody mouth." Wesley sternly said.

Knox laughed, "She's coming isn't she? She's almost dead isn't she?"

"And so are you." A voice came from behind the gang.

Everyone looked up and saw Fred pointing a gun at Knox.

Knox wiggled around in his chair, trying to see what was going on. And when he got to correct angle on the ground he saw Fred aiming the gun at him. He didn't seem to be afraid. All he did was smile.

"Fred…what are you doing?" Knox smiled, "You know you can't kill me…you're a good girl."

"Fred don't do anything you are going to regret." Gunn said.

"What's to regret Charles!" tears were streaming down Fred's face. Fred looked up at Gunn, "He's a murderer!"

"Fred, give me the gun." Wesley said.

"No!" Fred yelled, "He deserves this. He doesn't care! He does care what is happening to Buffy!"

"We know Fred…but just give me the gun alright." Wesley said softly, trying to reason with her.

Fred looked at each member of the gang and then last at Knox, "You have no soul." She whispered and then lowered the gun.

Wesley walked over to her and took the gun. Fred partially collapsed into his arms. Wesley just hugged her tight.

"I knew she couldn't do it." Knox laughed.

Wesley turned around and raised the gun to Knox and fired. Everyone was startled at the loud noise that filled the room. They all looked down at Knox and saw that he was just as shocked as the rest of them. Knox watched his blood come pouring out of his chest and onto his shirt. Knox looked back up at Wesley.

"No she couldn't...she's pure and decent, of course she couldn't….but I can." Wesley said.

Knox and Wesley stared at each other.

"She still can't be saved." Knox uttered the words out and took one last breath and died.

* * *

Angel walked through a grove of trees in the Cotswold of England. The place was foggy and looked like something out of scary children's fairytale. Angel came upon a tree that seemed to be unusual; there was a door built into the center of it . A man came out of the door with long hair and dressed in warrior clothing . 

"Hello Angel." The man stated.

Angel squinted his eyes and looked through the fog to see whoever it was, "Drogyn?"

"Long time." Drogyn said.

"You are the keeper of the well." Angel stated.

"Been for years." Drogyn said, "I'm guessing you are here because of Illyria."

"Yes." Angel said.

"Come." Drogyn said and started walking to the door of the tree.

Angel followed beside Drogyn.

"I don't have to remind you about my rules, right?" Drogyn asked as he held the door open for Angel.

"No question. I remember." Angel said and stepped inside the tree. Drogyn looked around outside before closing the door and following Angel.

* * *

After the incident down in the lab Wesley called a few employees to deposit Knox's body somewhere else. Lorne tried to keep Fred occupied by helping her research through some books. Spike traveled back upstairs and sat with Buffy. And Gunn decided to make a few calls in his office. 

"… you're not hearing me. I know you've got healers working for you. I don't care if the Old Ones scare them. I don't care if the Old Ones kill them. Get their asses down here, or you're gonna be in a world of hurt. No, I am not talking about a law suit. I'm talking about bones that go crunch, and if you think—" Gunn was interrupted on the phone by sudden sound of the dial tone, "Damn!" he mumbled to himself.

A man in a suit and a tie walked into Gunn's office carrying a file folder.

"Charles?" the man asked nervously.

"What!" Gunn looked up from his desk at the man. You could tell from the sound of his voice he was aggravated.

"I got those delivery papers that you wanted." The man said and set the folder on Gunn's desk.

Gunn opened the folder and started flipping through some papers until he got to the one paper he wanted. The employee just stood from a distance and watched.

On top of the delivery sheet was another order form. Gunn read word by word and realized that the other order form was for his upgrade of laws in his mind.

"What the…" Gunn whispered to himself.

He flipped back and forth between the two order forms and tried to figure out why they were both tied together. Then, he found the connection. Gunn's heart started to race and his stomach dropped. He found his signature on the bottom of the page of the sarcophagus order form.

"Sir is there something wrong?" the employee asked Gunn.

Gunn slowly brought his eyes up to meet the employee.

"No…you can go." Gunn stated in a daze.

The employee was hesitant to leave but he obeyed.

Gunn turned around and looked out his office window and into the city of L.A. He felt a number of things at the moment, mostly guilt. 'How could this happen…' he thought to himself.

'_I'm not the only one involved in this…I just play a part' _

The voice of Knox echoed inside Gunn's head. 'Did he know?' Gunn thought to himself. 'Did Knox know?'

Gunn's thoughts switched over to Angel and Spike. 'Oh god…what if they find out?' He remember how Spike was with Knox. 'How is everyone else going to react if they find out?' he thought about Wesley and Fred. 'Oh my god…Fred…it could have been her…and oh god…Buffy'

Gunn hanged his head down in shame and tears started to form behind his eyes.

"Charles?" Fred's voice came behind Gunn.

Gunn gasped and turned around. Fred was standing at the opening of his door.

"Fred…" Gunn spoke softly.

"Are you alright?" Fred spoke with concern.

"Uhh…" Gunn stuttered, "Yeah…yeah…just…just a little stressed with all the commotion."

"Yeah I think we all are." Fred said sadden, "Well…did you find any information?"

"Uh…no." Gunn said and moved behind his desk. "I think I'm going to keep looking."

"Do you need help?" Fred stepped forward.

"No!" Gunn said a little too quickly and a little too strong. Fred seemed startled by his tone. "I mean…no…no thanks…you should get back to the lab. I'll keep an eye on things here…maybe Angel will call with some news…hopefully good."

"Alright…" Fred said and turned around and left Gunn alone.

Gunn looked back down at the order form sitting on his desk. It was funny how just a simple few sheets of paper can cause so much trouble for him. Gunn picked the papers up and placed them in the shredder and pressed the start button and watched as the evidence became bits and pieces. Then once they went through the shedder Gunn took his scissors and cut up the papers even more.

'No one can know.' Gunn thought as he kept cut up the papers into smaller and smaller pieces.

* * *

Angel and Drogyn walked through the tunnels of the Deeper Well. Drogyn lead the way while holding a torch. 

"I would have never guessed you'd end up here, Angel." Drogyn spoke up.

"I could say the same." Angel said quietly.

"Well…I'll tell you as much as I can. The old ones were demons pure. They warred as we would breathe—endlessly. The greater ones were interred, for death was not always their end. Illyria was feared and beloved as few are. It was laid to death in the very depths of the well... until it disappeared a month ago." Drogyn went on and explained as they walked.

"We know that…one of my…one of my employees was part of the plan to bring the sarcophagus to Wolfram and Hart." Angel said.

Drogyn stopped and turned to look at Angel.

"Your employee?" Drogyn questioned.

Angel avoided eye contact with Drogyn, so he looked to the side. "Yeah…" Angel answered.

Drogyn studied Angel and saw that there was more than betrayal of an employee that had Angel so upset. Drogyn decided to avoid asking Angel about personal matters. They both started walking again.

"Well your…employee…he didn't really steal the tomb. It disappeared. My assumption was that this was pre-destined to be apart of Illyria's escape plan." Drogyn explained, "And for me not noticing…." Drogyn extinguishes the torch and walked into a chamber where a bridge is placed over a large hole.

Angel followed Drogyn in and looked over the edge of the bridge to see thousands of coffins placed in the pit. They were all stacked one by one on top of each other.

"…it's pretty hard to notice one missing from this pile." Drogyn said.

"How far does this go down?" Angel asked without turning his away from the pit.

"All the way down." Drogyn said. "All the way through the Earth."

**TBC...**


	14. Tears Forever

**Chapter 14: Tears Forever**

"Buffy?" Spike whispered by Buffy's bedside. "Buffy?" For the last hour she has been asleep and just sitting dead still on her bed.

Slowly Buffy's eyes opened and she turned to her head to look at Spike. While looking into his eyes, Spike could see that she looked weaker than before and completely drained out--almost like she wasn't even there.

"What time is it?" she whispered.

"About eleven o'clock at night." Spike said, "You slept for about an hour."

"That's an hour I don't have now." Buffy said softly. There was silence between them for a moment and then Buffy started to cough violently and then cringed in pain.

"What? What is it!" Spike began to panic.

"Something hurts inside." She said when the pain started to ease.

"I'll get a doctor, I'll go get someone." Spike said and started to get up.

"No." Buffy said quickly and grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. "Don't leave…the pain has passed."

Spike settled back into his chair and continued to hold her hand.

"It shouldn't be long…" Buffy said and closed her eyes.

"Buffy?" Spike spoke up.

Buffy opened her eyes and looked back at him to reassure him that she was still with him.

"You know I love you right?" she whispered.

Spike leaned forward and kissed her forehead and whispered, "Yes…I know."

* * *

"Angel?" Drogyn asked from behind Angel, who was still looking over the edge of the bridge of the Deeper Well. 

"If this goes all the way down then…that means someone on the other side is looking back at me." Angel said quietly.

"Whoever has been possessed by Illyria is going to die Angel….if you try to save…her…." Drogyn took a guess that whoever was ill was someone Angel held very dear to his heart, someone he loved, "Illyria will be drawn out of your friend and-and…every single person between here and there will die. It will become the mystical equivalent of airborne. It will claw into every soul in its path to keep from being trapped. Entire cities—tens maybe hundreds of thousands will die in agony if you save her." Angel didn't reply, "Angel?"

Angel turned slowly around and faced Drogyn, "The hell with them."

Drogyn was a bit startled by Angel's response.

"For seven years those hundreds of thousands are alive because of what she has done for them. She has died twice for this god awful world and you are telling her to do it again! No! This can't keep happening to her, she deserves to live her life…" Angel said.

"She's a hero." Drogyn said.

"She is." Angel said.

"Well…being a hero isn't an easy thing to do and she knows it. So you think she would want those people to die, that she could live knowing they died?" Drogyn asked.

Angel bowed his head down, 'He's right…Buffy wouldn't want those people to die.' Angel turned back around and stared down the Deeper Well again. A few tears fell down his cheeks and fell into the Well, traveling for what seemed like forever.

* * *

It was a little past midnight and Spike was outside Buffy's room lighting a cigarette near her door. He couldn't take it any longer, he needed something to calm his nerves so he decided to try and relax with a smoke. However, the cigarette wasn't helping. 

Spike glanced back at Buffy's sleeping form and saw she was no longer in her bed but on the ground leaning up against the wall in the corner of the room. Spike dropped his cigarette and raced back into the room.

"Luv?" he crouched next to her small form. Buffy's knees were raised and her forehead was resting on them.

She raised her head and tears were streaming down her face, "I felt too hot in the bed…and now I'm just cold again. I can't—I can't…" she cried, "Why can't I move my legs?"

Spike glanced down at her bent knees and placed his hand on her right leg and felt her cold skin.

"I-I can't feel them." Buffy said softly and let more tears fall down her face.

Spike glanced from Buffy's legs to her face, "It's alright." He said quietly. He began to lift her off the floor and balanced her in his arms. He stood up and walked with her to the door, "We need some help!" he shouted down the empty hallway.

"They…they can't help." Buffy said.

"We need help!" Spike shouted again and began to travel down the hallway in search of someone.

"William…" Buffy said so she could get his attention.

Spike turned his head to look down at her.

"It's over…" she said softly while looking into his eyes.

* * *

An hour later Spike and Buffy were lying in Buffy's medical bed. He was holding her, comforting her and watching her very closely. She sometimes shut her eyes for long moments and then reopened them. Those few moments that she shut her eyes had Spike in distress, wondering if she would ever reopen them again. 

"Spike?" she breathed out.

"Ya?"

"What was my purpose?" she asked.

Spike didn't answer.

"Was I brought back for two years just to hang around…why-after actually wanting to be in this world…why would God want me to go like this again?" Buffy asked while staring off into a distance.

Spike gulped, "I don't know." Tears were forming behind his eyes.

Buffy turned her head and looked at him, "I don't want to go…." She whispered.

"Then don't. Fight. Just concentrate on fighting." Spike told her

"I…I can't." she cried.

"Buffy—"

"Please just hold me." She whispered. Spike tightened his grip on her around her.

"Tell Dawn and my friends that it was quick…" her breath was become short, like she was gasping out the words.

"No this isn't it, luv…its not…" Spike let tears roll down his cheek, "Not after everything…you can get through this…just hold on."

"I…I can't….I'm-I'm sorry." Buffy whispered and let out a gasp and her chest fell back down and didn't come back up. Her limp body lied dead in Spike's arms with her eyes fixed on him.

"No…Buffy?" he said softly, "Please….please…luv…" he closed his eyes and hugged her close to his body when he saw she wasn't responding or breathing.

As Spike hugged Buffy's body and cried, Buffy's green eyes turned black. Buffy started to twitch in Spike's arms and sent him flying across the room and onto the ground as well as Buffy's body. Spike couldn't see what was happening to Buffy from behind the bed.

"Buffy?" Spike whispered as he sat in the same spot that he was flung off to.

Buffy stood up from behind the bed so Spike could see her. He was shocked to Buffy's transformation. Her eyes, her hair, her lips were all black, and her skin was a shade of silver.

Buffy, acting not like herself, looks down at her silver fingers and begins to flex and examine them.

"This will do…" an eerie voice came out of Buffy's mouth.

**TBC...**

**If you are wondering what she looks like now, well if you seen pictures of Sarah Michelle Gellar doing that Sour Girl music video then that is what she looks like. **


	15. Surfaced

**Chapter 15: Surfaced**

The shady looking figure of Buffy startled Spike quit a bit. He glanced up and down her body and saw her unnatural features and frowned. Everything that he loved about Buffy seemed to vanish away. He stared into her eyes and could no longer see Buffy. When he looked into them he saw darkness...he saw nothing.

The creature inside Buffy's body looked all around the room and observed things while Spike stared at her from his spot on the floor. He slowly and cautiously began to get up while keeping his eyes glued on the body that was once his love.

"Buffy?" Spike tried to ask the creature inside Buffy's body. He was hoping that some part of Buffy was still inside her.

She didn't respond.

Spike took a gulp and softly called her a different name, "Illyria?"

The dark eyes flashed to Spike quickly, "How dare you speak my name." the voice of Illyria said. "Just because I am in a shell of a human form does not mean my greatest is any less."

"Where is Buffy Summers?" Spike growled at Illyria. After hearing the voice come out of Buffy's body he knew that this 'thing' had no connection to Buffy's soul.

"I do not know nor care." Illyria said.

Spike looked down at the ground in pain while Illyria studied him. "You're a half breed…a warrior….is this what this world is made up of?"

Spike gathered up his emotions and looked back up at Illyria. It was like torture looking back at her every time to see no trace of Buffy inside but still see the outside shell of her.

"There is grief...I sense it all over you." Illyria went on to saying. "You are suppose to be better than that….you act as if you were human…it's like offal in my mouth."

Spike started to get an idea, "Well…then that's what you will be experiencing everyday if you stay. Humans rule the earth."

Illyria stared at Spike with wide eyes, "That's a lie." She said in harsh threatening voice.

"Look around…they crawl around like ants and will suffocate you with their emotions everyday if you stay." Spike said. "They are weak and stupid…they will kill each other off and then you can return to the world you deserve when the time comes….so leave…leave this body."

"I could not leave if I wanted to…I'm bound to this plane of existence now and this…" Illyria glances down at Buffy's body, "…shell. If you say the world is truly run by humans then I have work to do…" Illyria finished and moved closer to Spike.

Spike took in a deep breath as Illyria moved closer to him. They stared at one another.

"…I guess I better start with you then." Illyria then drew her hand back and punched Spike on the side of the face with the back of her hand. He traveled back in midair and hit the hospital room wall. He fell to the floor, still conscious but in agony.

Illyria turned to the opened door and mumbled to herself, "There is much to be done." Then she walked out the door into the hallway.

After a few minutes have passed, Wesley and Fred walked into the hospital room. They looked around and saw an empty bed, a big crack in the wall, Spike trying to get up off the ground.

"Oh my god! Spike, are you alright? What happened?" Fred went over to Spike's side and helped him up.

"Where's Buffy?" Wesley asked.

After a moment pause Spike uttered out, "Gone…"

* * *

Downstairs in the lobby Illyria was walking around the quarters and looking at everything she passed. From behind the front desk Harmony had to take a second look at the body that was once Buffy. Harmony got up from her chair and approached Illyria who was now studying the flowers displayed on the side of the lobby. 

"Buffy?" Harmony questioned. Illyria did not respond so Harmony put her hand on Illyria's shoulder. In an instant Illyria whipped around and threw Harmony across the room. Everyone standing around the room stopped and looked at Illyria, including Lorne and Gunn who had just arrived.

"Oh my god…" Lorne mumbled while looking at Buffy's new body features.

Lorne started to walk slowly towards Illyria while Gunn stayed back and watched from a distance.

"Uh…hi…" Lorne started by acting friendly towards Illyria, "I'm Lorne…and you might be?"

Illyria just stared at him.

"Lorne don't…" Gunn came up and stood next to Lorne, and started pushing back and away. "She's not Buffy."

"A human." Illyria muttered out.

"Uh…that's right…I am." Gunn said a little bit hesitant.

"The warrior was right…" Illyria turned and looked at a few employees around the room, "Humanity is drenching this world…."

A few seconds later Fred, Wesley, and Spike entered the room.

"Oh my…" came from Fred. She covered her mouth when she saw how different Buffy looked like now.

Illyria glanced back at Spike, "You don't know when to give up do you?"

"I won't give in till you bring her back." Spike snarled.

"I already told you I can't." Illyria raised her voice. She waved her hand across Fred, Wesley, and Spike and in an instant all of them were throw back on the ground.

Lorne and Gunn rushed behind Illyria, trying to sneak up on her but she sensed them. She turned around and did the same thing to them---sending them flying across the floor. Illyria glanced around at them before walking off.

As everyone started to get up off the ground the elevator door dinged and the doors slide open to reveal Dawn, Willow, and Giles.

**TBC...**


	16. There Are No Words

**Chapter 16: There Are No Words **

The three visitors standing in the elevator were bewildered by the image of everyone on the floor in the lobby.

Willow stepped out first and helped the nearest person up, which was Wesley, "Are you guys alright? What happened?"

Everyone started to get up on their feet and groaned in pain.

"Willow?" Wesley looked up at her as she helped him up. He turned and saw Dawn and Giles step out the elevator as well. "Dawn…Rupert…"

"Wesley…" Giles stated.

"…Spike?" Dawn looked over at the bleached vampire that was sort of distracted and upset. Spike turned and faced the smiling Dawn. "Oh my god…" she laughed and walked over to him and hugged him. It took him a minute to comprehend that she was hugging him, and then he put his arms around her and hugged her.

"I can't believe you're here…" she said while still hugging him. "When Buffy first told me about Andrew seeing you I couldn't believe it…" Spike closed his eyes tight at the mention Buffy's name. "…I guess she was right--same old you." She pulled back and saw that Spike was close to tears.

Giles and Willow as well saw the sad look on most of the groups face.

After taking a look at the group, Dawn faced Spike again. "What's wrong?"

No one answered.

"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked Spike.

* * *

Illyria stood in the science lab hovering over her sarcophagus. She ran her finger tips over some of the jewels that were welded in; she started to admire them in awe. 

Then she glances around the lab, "This world is not how it was…" she says softly.

A wind came out of no where and papers and test tubes crash around. Illyria slapped her palm on one of the crystals and a weird thin substance begins to cover her body. Eventually, the whole substance has covered her body in a type of body suit.

"But it will…I'm ready." Illyria said.

* * *

Angel's office was too quiet for nine people sitting around. Giles, Willow, and Dawn all sat on one big couch. Giles was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his glasses dangling from his hand. Dawn had tears streaming down her face. Willow had her arm around Dawn as she cried a little along with her. 

Angel had arrived back from London a little while ago and told Willow, Giles, and Dawn everything about what was happening. Wesley had to filled in the rest of the situations that happened in Angel's absents.

"It's like a bad dream…" Giles said softly to himself but everyone else heard him.

Spike stood away from the group and stared out into the city of L.A through the windows and noted that it was almost sunrise. He had his arms crossed against his chest.

"When were you going to tell us?" Dawn sniffed and threw her vengeful eyes to Angel.

Angel hung his head down and looked at the ground as he spoke, "It just happened Dawn…we, we didn't know this would actually happen." Angel explained.

"Didn't think it would happen?!" Dawn's anger was showing brightly towards Angel. She got up off the couch and walked closer to him, "What kind of world do you think we live in! Bad things always are heading our way and when one serious incident like this happens you go into what? Denial!"

Angel let out a sigh and started, "Dawnie—"

Dawn slapped Angel across the face. In an instant he shut up. Many of Angel's friends were surprised that the teenager had the guts to do that.

"Don't call me Dawnie…" she threatened. "Buffy should have never come here…all you do is bring her pain…."

"No…" the quiet voice came from the corner of the room.

Everyone in the room directed their attention on Spike now.

"I do…" Spike turned from the window to everyone else, "You may as well hit me too Niblet."

Dawn just stared at Spike with tears in her eyes.

"She came here for me…and now I wish she hadn't even given me a second thought. If she didn't then she would be…" his sentence drifted out but he continued, "So…pin the blame on me. I don't care. There is nothing inside me that can be broken anymore." Spike whispered.

"Spike we know how you feel…" Angel started but was once again cut off.

"No!" Spike shouted and turned quickly towards his grandsire. "Nobody knows an ounce of what I feel. Not even you Angel…" It has been a while since Spike had used the name 'Angel' and when he did he meant business. "You weren't here to see her struggle. You didn't see her gasp for breath till the end. You didn't look into her eyes and see that she was scared. You don't know! You didn't feel her die…" by the end of Spike's speech he was in tears.

"But I did…" the voice of Illyria came from the doorway.

Everyone was startled by Illyria's surprise appearance. She was wearing her new body suit and looking for some violence. Giles, Willow, Dawn, and Angel couldn't believe what they saw. It was the first time they had seen Buffy look like a creature. They noted that some parts of her were still recognizable but the features of Illyria were demanding. Just like Spike, when they looked into Illyria's eyes they didn't see a single trace of Buffy.

"It's starting to come back to me now…I remember this Buffy as you spoke so fondly of…I remember brief parts of her…memories that she gave me." Illyria stated. "Thoughts…feelings that were hers up until she took her last breath."

Illyria glanced over at Willow for the first time and saw her sad grieving face. "You are of much power…pure power…"

Hearing Illyria speak directly to her made Willow a little shook up.

"There is a lot of power in this room Illyria." Angel spoke up.

Illyria turned to Angel and focused on him. Angel gulped when he saw her; it was a bit too much for him to take.

"Another warrior…" she glanced back over to Spike and then back to Angel, "Two half breeds and a powerful woman…this is your power? This is how you challenge me?"

"Stand down and I promise you won't be hurt badly for taking something precious from us." Angel said.

"I decline." She said.

Angel was going to say something but didn't get a word in. He was knocked to the ground. Everyone was a little surprised and confused of what happened. They glanced back to where Illyria stood and found her gone.

"Where'd she go?" Fred asked.

Everyone looked all over the office and into the halls and found no site of Illyria.

"She was standing right there and then…gone." Lorne said.

"She's a teleporter." Angel groaned and got to his feet.

"Or she altered time." Wesley said.

* * *

There was no one on duty down in the Wolfram and Hart morgue when Illyria walked inside. She looked and saw only one body with a sheet covering it. Illyria walked over to the body and ripped the sheet off and uncovered dead Knox. 

"The Qwa'ha Xahn…" she said softly.

She looked at his face for a moment and then put her hand on his chest and closed her eyes. After a few moments Knox's eyes opened wide and he started to cough.

Illyria took her hand off of him and stared down at him.

Knox looked around the morgue and then up at Illyria. He had a confused look on his face at first but then he started to grin.

"I knew you would come for me…" Knox said.

"Take me to the gateway." Illyria demanded.

**  
**

**TBC…….**


	17. Hard to Kill

**Chapter 17: Hard to Kill **

**_A/N: Now I know that all you want Buffy back badly and all but I can only say that she won't be around… for a while. I want to throw a little twist in the next few chapters to make things juicy. I know you Spuffy people are anxious but good things come to those who wait._**

Illyria and Knox exited out of Wolfram and Hart morgue and walked down the hallway.

"I didn't know you could…you know…bring me back to life." Knox said.

"I do as I please." Illyria said while walking forward, "I need my Qwa'ha Xahn to bring me to the gateway."

"Don't worry about that, I have everything mapped out…" Knox smiled, "I have been waiting for this day my whole life."

Illyria and Knox kept walking down the hallway and went into the elevator.

* * *

"That couldn't be Buffy…" Dawn shook her head, "She wouldn't do that." 

"It's not her Dawn…its Illyria." Angel said.

"Do we have any idea where she is heading?" Lorne asked.

Wesley walked over to Angel's desk and brought out a book, "This volume is the most useful book that Wolfram and Hart as possession of."

Wesley opens up the book and sits it on the desk. Angel, Wesley, Spike, Giles, Dawn, and Willow hover around the book looking at a picture in the book.

"It's her temple." Wesley stated, "I can't pronounce the name of the temple. She was supposed to be resurrected here."

"What is that?" Willow asked softly and her face cringed as she pointed to body of a snake-like creature coiled around a torso, having dozens of snake-tails where feet should be. The statue is holding two bladed weapons.

"That is Illyria…" Wesley said. Willow looked up in confusion. "It's her native form."

"What are those?" Angel pointed behind the statue to thousands of little dots.

"Her army of doom." Wesley said.

"Where is this temple?" Giles asked while examining the picture still.

"Here in L.A…her temple was here millions of years ago and I would guess she'd be on her way to opening the gateway by now." Wesley explained.

"But what about Buffy?" Dawn spoke up. She was sick of the history lesson of a snake like creature that possessed her sister. "Aren't we going to do something to get her back?"

"One thing at a time Dawn." Angel said.

Dawn threw Angel a dirty look.

"Besides, if we go up against her it's going to be hard to get around her time altering ability." Angel said.

Fred stepped up and handed Angel one of the crystals in from the sarcophagus, "Not anymore."

Angel looked at the crystal and then back at Fred.

"Its time to get Buffy back." Fred said.

* * *

Illyria and Knox stood inside the lobby of an L.A bank. Knox was a fewsteps away from Illyria, holding a bag. Illyria holds her hands up in front of her face, wiggles her fingers, causing a gust of wind to blow past her, but no portal gateway opening. 

"My gateway is blocked!" Illyria shouts and turns to Knox. She is very upset.

"Uh…yeah…I was afraid that might happen." Knox said, "Wolfram and Hart probably threw a lock on it."

Illyria just gives him a confused look. Knox started to search through his bag and pulls out something.

"No worries…I brought my skeleton key just in case." Knox smiles.

"You're a strange Qwa'ha Xahn." Illyria says.

Knox frowns and looks down at his feet.

"I'll just perform the spell." Knox said and started to set up.

Knox started to chant and the bones soon disappear. He smiles to himself.

"Doesn't a man stay dead when ya kill him?" Spike's voice came from the opposite side of the room.

Knox and Illyria turned around and looked to find Wesley, Angel, and Spike.

Knox rose to his feet, "My god needed me…she brought me back…I was—"

Angel lifted the gun and fired at Knox's head and he instantly fell to the ground.

"I would like to see you resurrect him now." Angel said to Illyria as he lowered his gun.

"I no longer need him…" Illyria said. "My gateway is open."

"I'll die before you turn this world into what you want it." Angel growled.

Illyria cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

"We'll give you the short version…let's start with you walking around and looking like the woman you murdered." Spike stepped forward.

Illyria paused and looked at his face, "You're lover…this shell was your lover...that is why you seek for vengeance."

While Illyria speaks, Spike had his eyes focused downward.

"You're actions cannot bring her soul back…it is shattered…" Illyria clarified.

Spike looked up at Illyria with narrow eyes, "Enough!" he growled and launched at her.

She punched Spike in the chest, knocking him into the opposite wall. Wesley, who was carrying a sword, swings at Illyria but she ducks and throws him into another wall. Angel starts shooting at her ; she kicks Knox's body at him, knocking the gun out of his hand and the crystal jewel out of his pocket.

Spike got up off the ground and sees Illyria walking with her hand out in front of her and making a portal opening. Spike rushes up behind her and grabs Angel's gun and crystal and dives into the portal just as it was about to close.

* * *

Spike landed belly up inside Illyria's temple, and the gun in his hand slipped out of his grasp on impact with the floor. He looked up and watched Illyria walk away. 

"You are too late. My army will rise and this world will be—" Illyria says, but then stops when she sees the reins of her temple. "No…" she whispers to herself.

Illyria looks around and sees that the place is silent and deserted.

"It…it can't be." Illyria says devastated. "It's gone."

She falls to her knees and runs her hands threw the dust that was once part of the temple.

"My world is gone." She whispers.

The shadowy figure stands above Illyria. She looks up and sees Spike pointing the gun at her. "Now you know how I feel." He says.

Illyria looks up at Spike, wide-eyed. They stare at one another. Then a low sound reverberates nearby, and Spike turns to see a portal has opened up behind him. He looks back at where Illyria was kneeling and sees she's gone. He looks at her toppled statue and walks out of the portal.

* * *

Spike stood inside Angel's office alone, looking out the window into the city of L.A. Angel walked in and instantly spotted him. 

"Everyone was looking for you." Angel said.

"Where's Scooby gang?" Spike asked.

"I set them up in a hotel…they wanted one far far away from here…" Angel sighed.

"Do you blame them?" Spike asked while still keeping his eyes on the window.

Angel sighed again, "No..." He walked over to his desk chair and collapsed into it.

"I couldn't do it…" Spike said softly.

Angel looked up at Spike and waited for him to continue.

"I couldn't kill her." Spike said, "Even though she isn't…Buffy…" It took him a hard time saying her name. "Even though she isn't her I couldn't do it."

Angel got up out of his chair and walked over and stood next to Spike. "I don't think I could either." Angel confessed.

Both souled vampires stood looking out the window. Angel glanced over at Spike one time and then put his hand on his shoulder, giving him comfort. And this time Spike didn't give Angel a grim look or a punch, he just accepted it.

**TBC...**


	18. Escape

**Chapter 18: Escape **

It has been two and half weeks since anyone has seen or heard from Illyria. After she saw that her kingdom had been destroyed she seemed to vanish from everyone's sight. Everyone figured that she was off hiding and grieving her own loss.

Business around Wolfram and Hart went sort of back to normal. The people who knew Buffy were the only ones that seemed to find it hard to continue working.

Every night Spike went out by himself for hours at a time. Some of the members of Wolfram and Hart spread rumors that the bleached souled vampire went out looking for Illyria for revenge. Others thought he went out to bars and grieved in his sorrows with a many bottles of beers or scotch. The truth of the matter was that Spike actually did both.

**Basement of Wolfram and Hart…**

It was dark and many boxes and crates were scattered around. The main elevator dinged and a little light entered the basement.

The sound of wheels rolling could be heard coming from the elevator.

"Thanks for helping me Charles." Fred's voice could be heard along with the squeaking wheels.

"No problem." Gunn answered.

Fred and Gunn came off the elevator pushing Illyria's coffin into the basement. After a few moments they stopped pushing and the wheels stopped. Gunn looked around the dark basement.

"Where do you think we should put this?" Gunn asked while looking around.

Fred didn't answer, her eyes drifted to the sarcophagus and seemed glued to it.

"I just couldn't look at this in the lab anymore." She whispered softly.

Gunn turned slowly around and looked at Fred. By only the sound of her voice he could tell that her eyes were teary. And then the guilt from inside of him started to resurface again.

"Fred…" Gunn started.

"This is the first problem I couldn't solve." Fred continued. After a brief pause she looked up at Gunn. "Putting this down here only proves it more."

"This is not your fault." Gunn said, "It…it just happened."

Fred had tears in her eyes as she shook her head, "No…nothing just happens, somehow…someway this…" she glances down at the coffin, "This killer got into our company with open arms. And no one stopped it….why didn't anyone stop it?" She whispered and looked down at the coffin.

Gunn took a deep breath and a huge gulp.

"Come on Fred lets just move this thing." Gunn changed the subject.

"What's the point?" Fred asked and started to walk away. "It already did its damage."

Gunn stood and stared down at the coffin and listened to Fred walk away towards the elevator. When he turned around a few moments later he saw that he was alone.

**Angel's Office**

Angel sat alone in his office leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed against his chest. He looked off into his big office and then up at the sunshine free window glass. His thoughts kept repeating and taunting him saying that he wasn't worthy for the things he has. Then he thought about working back in the hotel with Cordelia and Doyle when he just moved to the city. He thought that they didn't have many resources to work with but they still had control of the problems they had to face.

"Umm…Angel?" a voice shook Angel out of his daze.

Angel looked up and saw Willow standing near the entrance of his door. He stood up from his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Willow…" Angel announced.

"Sorry if I…bothered you." Willow said. However she knew very well that he was not doing anything. When she walked in to his office it took her a few minutes to break him out of the trance he was in as he sat at his desk.

"Nah…I was just….I was…" Angel drifted off in mid-sentence and when he couldn't come up with anything to say he instantly changed the subject, "Umm did you need something?"

"I just wanted to umm…well Giles and Dawn decided that they want to…leave…" there was a brief silence between them and then she added, "And I've decided to go too."

Angel blinked and then looked down at his desk and fidgeted with some of the things on his desk. "I see…"

"It's just we don't really have any reason to stay." Willow said, "We researched day and night for days and we couldn't find a way to get Buf—" Willow stopped and took a deep breath.

"I understand." Angel saved Willow from continuing.

"I thought you would." Willow gave him a tiny smile that soon faded away.

"Does the rest of your gang know what happened here…does Faith and…Xander…?" Angel started.

"No…" Willow said interrupted, "I couldn't get a hold of Xander and I—I don't think I'm ready to tell him just yet…I will but…I think it may take some time for me to get the courage to tell him. And the rest…well…maybe I'll just leave Giles to tell everyone else." She explained.

Angel gave a little nod.

"Have you seen Spike by any chance?" Willow asked.

Angel let out a deep breath and stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked closer to Willow. "Not lately…I haven't seen him since…two nights ago…"

"How is he?" Willow asked softly.

"The same as he has been for the last two and half weeks—won't talk to anyone, won't seen anyone, won't let anyone see _him_…" Angel explained.

"Do you think he would…maybe like to come back with us?" Willow asked, "Get his mind out of things in L.A."

Angel shook his head 'no'. "I don't think he would go willingly…."

"Yeah…" Willow muttered in agreement and turned around and started to leave.

"When are you planning on leaving?" Angel asked before she left out the door.

"Tomorrow morning." Willow said.

"If I see Spike…I let him know." Angel said.

"Thanks…and when you see him tell him…'were always there for him'" Willow said quietly.

"I'll be sure to tell him." Angel said.

Willow nodded and left Angel's office.


	19. The Pounding Soul

**Chapter 19: The Pounding Soul**

The sun had just had gone down in Los Angelus and a bright red sky was left in the afterglow. On the top of the roof of the Wolfram and Hart building the sight was spectacular. Anyone would have appreciated the view, however at the moment the sight was being seen by someone that had sorrow and gloom in their heart. Spike stood near the edge of the building looking out at the city. He never felt more alone the last two weeks. The emptiness in his heart each day felt like it was getting bigger.

Two days ago Willow, Dawn, and Giles left back to Europe. Spike didn't even know they were gone until Angel told him a day after they left.

"I thought I might find you here." A voice came from behind him. It startled Spike and when he whipped around he came face to face with his loves murderer.

"I could smell you're pain intoxicating the atmosphere every which way I turned." Illyria said and stepped forward.

"If you hate it so bloody much then go." Spike growled.

Illyria ignored the comment and turned and looked out at the sky.

"How could this shell mean so much to you?" Illyria asked.

"She wasn't a shell." Spike said sternly, "She was more than that…so much more."

"So this isn't what you want?" Illyria asked.

Spike slowed looked up at Illyria and saw Buffy's face. The clothes, the hair, the eyes, the scent was a perfect match. The image made Spike's eyes widen and step away. His breathing enhanced with every second he stared at those green eyes of Buffy.

"What—what did you do?" Spike asked in a stutter.

"What's the matter Spike? Afraid of little old me?" the voice that spoke was Buffy's.

"Stop!" Spike screamed and shut his eyes, can't being able to look at a lie. "I don't bloody know how you can turn into her but don't be her." He said firmly, "You have no right to be her."

"You and I both know that's not what you want." Buffy's voice spoke.

While Spike's eyes were still closed he felt her hand run up his arm. He instantly snapped his eyes open and grabbed the form of what looked like Buffy and shook its shoulders.

"Stop being her! Just stop!" he said firmly as he shook the form of Buffy. Then slowly Buffy's face faded away and Illyria turned back into herself.

Spike held her shoulders for a second and then let go and walked away from her.

"Your reaction…you are upset." Illyria stated.

"How do you bloody think I'd react!" Spike snapped at her and clenched his jaw as he glared at her. "I don't want you EVER doing that again…" there was silence between each other, "…you understand?"

"No…I do not understand….you mourn for your love…and when I present her to you…you shudder away." Illyria explained, "It's as if you want fire while you are ice."

"You are NOT her and can never be her…she is gone and I don't want you going around acting and looking like her…you murdered her…you don't get the privilege of being her." Spike said as calmly as he could. His voice sounded as if he wanted to yell at her but he held his shouts back.

"How dare you speak to me like—" Illyria started but stopped in mid-sentence. Her face washed over with pain and she took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. Spike watched in curiosity, wondering what she was doing.

"Not again…" she muttered to herself and leaned over in pain, holding her stomach.

"No! No!" She screamed as she continued to hold her middle. Then she collapsed to her knees and let out a scream and looked up at Spike, "Make it stop…it won't stop."

Spike didn't take a step from where he stood. Illyria looked up in agony and let out a scream that could be heard throughout the city.

---------------------

Spike stood and watched from the lab office as many people, including Fred, examined Illyria on a medical table. On his face he showed no emotions, he just crossed his arms and watched Illyria's eyes stay closed. He noticed that ropes were tied around her feet and arms, acting as restrains.

"What happened on the roof?"

Spike didn't need to turn around to know that Angel stood a few feet behind him.

"I'm not sure." Spike said quietly.

"Well when we brought her down she was going completely crazy." Angel stepped up beside Spike and watched Illyria on the table with fascination too.

"I know…" Spike muttered while never taking his eyes off of Illyria, "She just kept screaming…"

"What did she yell about?" Angel asked.

Spike shook his head, "I don't know." The tone in his voice gave the impression that he was exhausted of the situation, "She just kept screaming about something from the inside of her…she referred to the pain as pounding…"

Angel took a deep breath and had a brief flashback. The voice of his first love Darla came out so sharp and clear in his mind.

_"They breathe. They breathe and pound." Darla told Angel._

Angel let out a gulp as he continued to remember more.

_"Do it! Do it! Make it stop!" Darla begged Angel._

_"No it won't, Darla. Darla, listen to me." Angel reasoned with her. _

"Make it stop! Make it stop."

_"The child. The child has a heartbeat. It has a soul." Angel said_

_"No! Not my child! No!" Darla yelled wildly._

_"Our child. Our child. Our child. That's why you've been craving purer and purer blood. That's why it's been driving you out of your mind. It has a soul." Angel told Darla._

Fred's voice interrupted Angel out of his thoughts.

"Well we did a bunch of tests…I'm not sure what is causing—" Fred started but got interrupted.

"I know…" Angel stated.

Spike and Fred turned and looked at Angel.

"You know what?" Fred asked.

"Why she's going crazy…" Angel said while looking back at Illyria.

**TBC...there you have it...my master twist to the story.**


	20. One Favor

**Chapter 20: One Favor**

Illyria was laid out on the cold metal table in the Wolfram and Hart science lab when her eyes slowly opened. Her dark eyes looked side to side at all the instruments around and started to struggle in the chains she was placed in.

"How dare…" Illyria breathed out. "Let me out!"

Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Angel quickly came through the door when Illyria screamed out. Angel was the first one to lean over the table and look Illyria eye to eye.

"Let me out or I'll I break and destroy you." Illyria snarled.

"Then why don't you?" Angel challenged. "Why don't you break the chains and try?"

Illyria struggled against the chains that were tied to her arms and legs again. "I do not know what has happened to me…my strength…all I feel is weakness…what did you do to me?" She asked as she breathed heavily.

"Not a thing…but we may not know the cause of it. It seems that before…" as Angel started to explain Spike walked quietly through the door and listened, "Before you came…Buffy…she was carrying a child…and for some reason the baby made it though the transition when you came."

Fred took a deep breath and looked down at the ground.

"So you are telling that this…Buffy…has a piece of herself still inside of me…and that's what's causing me weakness?" Illyria asked calmly and softly.

Angel let out a breath and nodded.

Illyria paused for a second, processing all of what Angel took her. Then all of sudden she slashed out like she was going crazy again and started pulling on her chains and shaking the tabled she was on.

Angel, Gunn, and Wesley started to hold her down as she screamed, "NO! Let me go! I won't let this happen! NO! I must stop it."

Spike stepped forward and looked held Illyria's shoulder down against the table, forcing her to look straight at him.

"I won't let you stop this." He said calmly.

"I do not take orders from you…this shell does—"

"Stop calling her that!" Spike shouted.

Gunn and Wesley shared a concerned look with one another.

"Spike…" Angel started.

Spike didn't break contact with Illyria's dark eyes, "Now that there is one tiny part of Buffy left inside you I have something to live for…two minutes ago I would be happy to take a stake in the chest but now….now fate has stepped in and given me something…it may not be Buffy but it's the closest I'm going to get."

"This…child inside of me is not my concern…nothing that I care for…" Illyria said to Spike.

"Because it makes you feel more like a human being." Spike stated.

Illyria stared at Spike for a moment and then down at her stomach in disgust, "It has a soul…its too pure for me to stand."

"We can ease the pain…" Angel spoke up.

Illyria turned her attention to Angel.

"Wesley figured that the reason you are in pain is that the baby isn't use to your time-altering and using your powers…" Angel explained, "Until it's born you need to stop using your powers."

"No." Illyria quickly growled.

"Yes." Spike growled back.

"Why should I even do you a favor? I do not help anyone but myself."

"Look I know it's not in your nature to do something for someone else but….please…I'm begging you….do this." Spike pleaded with Illyria.

Illyria considered it for a moment, "And after this child of yours is born…you will all leave me be…you will not try to destroy me and get this…Buffy back?"

Spike took a depth breath. He didn't want to make this deal at all. It was like giving in on finding a way to bring back his lost love. However, he had think about what was best for the baby. A baby that somehow he and Buffy made in the short time they were together.

"Alright…" Spike sighed and took a big gulp.

* * *

Later in the day Angel traveled back to his office to find Spike sitting in one of his chairs. 

"Is this your new hang out or something?" Angel asked as he walked further into his office. He frowned when he saw Spike glossy eyes staring out into nothing.

"Do you believe this is all happened?" Spike asked.

Angel let out a long sigh and went over to lean against his desk, "No…seems these last few months have been a nightmare actually."

"A nightmare and dream at the same time is what it feels for me." Spike admits. "On one side I lost Buffy…and nothing is every going to fill that emptiness in my heart…but on the other side I'm going to have a bloody child….and my mind can't seem to grasp that yet."

"I know what you mean." Angel said.

"I don't think I can do this." Spike got up from his seat.

"Do what?" Angel asked and narrowed his eyes just a bit.

"THIS…having a child and making a deal with that demon that killed Buffy that she can get off scotch free when this is all over." Spike yelled out his frustration.

"Spike—"

"I mean…what was bloody thinking at the time?" Spike mumbled.

Angel paused and then got up off his desk and took a few steps towards Spike, "Well…I think you were thinking like a father at the moment…"

Spike looked up at Angel.

"And I know Buffy would agree with the decision that you made…she would be proud of you ya know?" Angel told him.

Spike turned his head away. He didn't want to hear any of this—about how proud Buffy would be and that he made the right choice. His heart was telling him the opposite and that failed her once again.

"I…I need to go." Spike mumbled to Angel and left the room.

'This isn't going to be easy' Angel thought as he watched Spike walk into the lobby and into the opened elevator.

* * *

**5 years later…**

"I don't care… Angel said as he paced back and forth behind his desk on the telephone. "No, you listen to me! We are not making a deal with the Crimla demons just because they get you half off on some pair of shoes Harmony. Just ring them up again and say 'no'."

Angel hung up the phone with a sigh. He collapsed back into his chair. Angel rubbed his forehead a little bit. 'Why do I still have her on my staff?' he thought to himself.

"Knock, knock…" Fred said as she walked in with a half grin.

Angel looked up with a slight smile when he heard Fred's voice.

"Hey…what's up? Or…you know, what's going on down there?" Angel asked as he got up from his chair and looked at Fred's very pregnant stomach.

Fred giggled a little bit and rubbed her stomach in small circles

"Oh you know…he kicks me and then I ask 'Hey what did I do?' he then he won't answer…just like everyday." Fred joked.

Angel smiled a little bit more.

"Why are you here anyway? Thought Wesley prohibited you to working in the lab in your condition." Angel said.

"Well he did…but as you can see I'm not in the lab right now…" Fred said and sat down in tone of Angel's chairs.

"Ah…" Angel nodded, "I see you found a loophole in your agreement…sneaky."

"Ya well…I don't intend on staying long. I was just waiting for Kayla and Willow to arrive. Did their plane land?" Fred asked.

"Not sure…Willow was supposed to call when they landed." Angel replied.

Fred looked down at her hands shyly, as if afraid to ask her next question. "Does Spike even know she's coming back?" Fred asked softly.

"Not sure…after our recent apocalypse he may have forgotten she's coming."

"Forgotten that his own daughter is coming?" Fred asked.

Angel just shook his head, "He's been…distracted for quit sometime. I'm not even sure if Kayla should be even coming."

"But she's been waiting so long to see Spike and you…and all of us…Giles told me the other day that she was so excited to come to L.A that she couldn't sleep the night before." Fred smiled.

Angel let out a laugh but then turned all serious, "I just don't know if now's the best time for a visit. I just hope we don't have a relapse of our last apocalypse while she's here."

* * *

In the lobby of Wolfram and Hart the elevator dinged and a little four year old girl with blonde hair ran out of Willow's hand smiling and looking around ecstatic. 

"Daddy?" she yelled out while looking around the lobby. She slowly frowned when all she saw was employees walking around.

Willow walked over to the little girl and crouched down so she can be eye leveled with her, "Kayla, sweetie, you're daddy may be working." Willow said as she pushed a few strands of hair away form her face.

"But I waited so long to see him." The four year old whined.

"I know, I know…but once he knows you're here he'll be just as excited to see you." Willow reassured Kayla with a smile.

Kayla gave a little nod with a smile but she still seemed disappointed that her father wasn't around.

"Willow!" Fred called out as she walked into the lobby from Angel's office. Right behind her Angel trailed along.

"Fred hi!" Willow smiled.

"Aunt Fred! Uncle Peaches!" Kayla yelled and ran up and hugged Fred's legs first and then moved over to Angel and hugged him too.

Angel bent down and picked Kayla up with a smile.

"I can see she still calls you Uncle Peaches, Angel." Fred laughed as she glanced over at him and the child.

"Ha-ha very funny." Angel mumbled.

"Tried to get her to say 'Uncle Angel' but it's not working." Willow explained as walked closer to them.

"Well then she won't get her present if she doesn't know how to say my real name." Angel said with a sigh.

"I can say your name Uncle Angel." Kayla lit up and said.

"I thought so." Angel smiled and took Kayla inside his office.

Willow and Fred just laughed at Kayla's response.

* * *

Once Angel and Kayla were in the office, Angel sat the little girl down in his big desk chair. 

"You're present is right in their." Angel pointed to one of his desk doors.

Kayla opened the door and gasped when she saw a necklace. She pulled out and saw a cross at the end of the chain.

"Wow…" she whispered in amazement.

"It's a very important piece thing to have Kayla…and it will protect you." Angel said as he carefully placed the chain around her neck, being sure not to touch the cross in the process.

"But it doesn't protect you and daddy." Kayla replied as she looked up at her uncle with confusion, "It hurts you."

"Ya…it does…" Angel frowned, "But that doesn't matter…as long as it protects you is what matters."

"Where's daddy?" Kayla changed the subject.

"He had to take a trip with Uncle Gunn but should be back later tonight." Angel said with a small smile, trying to make her happy.

"Oh…" she frowned, "I wish he was here."

Angel let out a sigh and just watched the little girl in his chair continue look sad.

**TBC...**


	21. Reconnecting

**Chapter 21: Reconnecting**

A violent knocking coming from outside Angel's apartment, that could nearly wake the whole building at two in the morning. Angel threw on a shirt before opening the door and seeing Spike looking a little irritated. He looked different in a physical sense too. His hair had grown a little bit and his brown roots were showing.

"Spike what the hell are you—" Angel started as he rubbed his eyes and tried to become fully aware of what was going on.

"Where is she?" Spike interrupted.

Angel paused and thought for a minute of what he was talking about. Then he remembered Kayla.

"She's sleeping…where else would she be?" Angel told him.

Spike moved around Angel and entered the apartment. He started to the guest bedroom and almost reached the doorknob but Angel stopped him.

"Let her be…can't you come tomorrow?" Angel asked. He could figure out why Spike would show up so late expecting to see his daughter. 'Can't he wait a few hours?' Angel thought.

"Listen Peaches I want to see my daughter that I haven't seen in three months and if you have a problem with that then tough! She's not your daughter and not your responsibility so stop pretending like she is." Spike shouted in a whisper.

Angel held up his hands in surrender, he was too tired to argue with Spike at two in the morning.

Spike turned around and walked into the dark bedroom and found the tiny four year old sleeping in a king sized bed. She looked so small, like the bed could swallow her up any moment. Spike's face shifted from being pissed off to looking amazed when he saw Kayla. He took slow steps near the bed side and then crouched near the edge so he could get a better look at her.

Angel stepped back and left the door side, giving Spike a little privacy with his daughter.

Spike gently ran his fingers though Kayla's hair as he watched her sleep. Then a few seconds later Kayla's eyes fluttered open and widened a little bit at the sight before her.

"Daddy." She mumbled in surprise.

"Hi luv…" Spike smiled and continued to stroke his daughter's cheek and hair.

The little girl in a flash leaned up and enveloped him a hug. Spike replied by holding her tightly and picking her up off the bed.

"God I missed you sweetheart." Spike said and kissed side cheek.

"Me too." She said, "Why do I have to be away so long?"

Spike pulled out of the hug to look Kayla's face, "Well…you know that it gets dangerous around here during certain times of the year."

"You mean aptholyspe" she tried to pronounce 'apocalypse'.

Spike forgot how cute she sounded and asked, "Who told you that word?"

"Uncle Xander…I heard him talking about it once." Kayla said, "What's an 'apthocups?'"

"Nothing for you to worry about luv…" Spike said.

The little girl let out a yawn and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Why don't we get you back in bed?" Spike suggested and started to set Kayla back down on the bed.

"No!" she sternly said and held her hands around Spike tighter, "Don't let me go." She started to cry.

"Alright, alright…" Spike hushed her and held her tightly in his arms. "Shh…I'm not going anywhere—I'm right here." He promised Kayla and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Spike gently rubbed her back in small circles, trying to sooth her cries. He shifted positions and leaned against the headboard while holding his little girl still in his arms. Then pretty soon he heard her cries die down and Kayla was fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning in Wolfram and Hart the elevator dinged and the doors slid open to reveal Kayla, Spike, and Angel. Spike picked up his little girl in his arms as they walked across the lobby, making sure he took a quick look around the room for any bad things they may cause his daughter harm. 

"Daddy why can't I spent the day with you?" Kayla whined.

Spike directed his attention back to Kayla, "It's only for a little while luv…you wouldn't want to sit through a boring old meeting anyway."

When they made it inside Angel's office the three of them were greeted by Wesley and Fred.

"Hi Kayla." Fred smiled when she saw the little girl.

"Now luv you are going to stay with Uncle Wes and Aunt Fred for a while alright?" Spike said as he sat Kayla down on the ground, "And if you need anything I'll only be down the hall."

"Alright." She said a little disappointed.

Kayla walked over to the couch across the office and climbed on it.

"We'll be fine." Fred whispered to Spike.

"Right…" Spike said but didn't take his eyes off Kayla.

"Come on Spike." Angel said and turned and walked out the door.

"I'll see you later pet." Spike called across the room so she could hear him.

Kayla didn't answer him; she just lied down on the couch with her back facing him.

Spike let out a sigh and then left the room.

* * *

"I think she's asleep." Wesley whispered to Fred as he checked on Kayla on the couch. 

"If you want to go down to the lab you can…I'll watch her." Fred said.

"Well…" Wesley pondered the idea, "It would only be for like an hour tops."

Fred rolled her eyes, "Just go…I know you want to."

Wesley smiled and kissed the top of her head as he headed for the door, "I'll be back."

Fred shook her head with a smile and then went back to reading the magazine that was in her lap.

Across the room Kayla turned around on the couch and opened her eyes to see her Aunt Fred invested in a magazine. Kayla gave a little mischievous grin before getting up off the couch and quietly crawling on the ground towards Angel's door. When she saw Fred start to fidget in her chair Kayla frozen and place on the ground—hoping she wouldn't be spotted. After she saw Fred continue to read with out noticing her she continued to crawl her way out of the office completely.

When Kayla reached the lobby she stood up and started to walk around the lobby, looking at all the adults pass her without care.

"Excuse me; do you know where my daddy is?" Kayla asked politely to a random employee; however the man didn't acknowledge her since he was talking on his cell phone. He just kept walking down the hallway.

Kayla let out a small pout when she didn't receive an answer. "How rude…" she mumbled.

Across the lobby the sound of the elevator dinging caught her attention. She saw that the doors were wide open and that no one was inside. Kayla once again gave her mischievous grin and ran across the room and into the elevator before the two doors closed.

The little girl tried to reach the top buttons but the only one easy to push was the one labeled, 'B'…the basement.

Kayla felt the elevator go down and then come to a complete stop. The two doors slid open and revealed the dark cold drippy basement. Kayla took a few steps off the elevator and looked around with a frown.

"Daddy?" Kayla yelled out.

The only responds she got was her own voice echoing back.

"Helloooo?" she called out.

And once again she was greeted back with her echoing voice. Kayla let out a little gasp when she heard the elevator behind her close its doors, leaving her in the dark.

* * *

Back upstairs Gunn, Angel, and Spike exiting the conference room and walking down the hallway towards Angel's office. 

"All I'm saying is next time you go on a mission down take my Viper." Angel growled at Spike.

"I really should be mine you know; I drive it every bloody day. "Spike responded.

When the three guys entered Angel's office they were greeted by a pacing pregnant Fred who was looking very upset.

"Fred?" Gunn spoke up first.

Fred stopped walking and looked up with wide eyes, "Huh?"

"Are you alright? Don't you think you better be sitting down in your condition?" Angel asked as he walked towards Fred and took her arm and guided her towards the chair.

"Look you guys—" Fred started but was cut off by Spike.

"Where's Kayla?" Spike turned his eyes from the empty couch that Kayla was sitting on when he left to Fred.

**TBC…..**


	22. Father Knows Best

**Chapter 22: Father Knows Best**

The dream team burst outside of Angel's office and searched the main lobby for any signs of the little girl. Spike's mind was racing a mile a minute as he thought of all the worse case scenarios. His eyes darted to 2 demons with long claws walking with one of their employees across the room.

_'Anybody could have just grabbed her and taken her.'_ Spike thought as he remembered what type of environment he worked in everyday. He felt like an idiot for forgetting that so many evil beings walked through this building day after day with a murder record in the thousands. Even Wolfram and Harts own employees were questionable on their evilness, and with that thought Spike's mind drifted to Knox.

_'How stupid can I be to think it's safe to bring her here?' _Spike scolded himself_, 'Her mother died here…'  
_

"I'll search the lab and training room." Wesley spoke up first as he dashed down the hallway toward the stairway.

"I'll go down to the main floor…ask the security if they saw her leave the building." Gunn yelled out as he jogged in another direction in his suit.

Spike's eyes darted to Angel when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her. Don't worry."

After a moment of silence, a tiny whimper coming from the pregnant brunette caused Spike's attention to direct toward Fred. Fred, the first friend he had when he arrived in L.A after Sunnydale; the girl he trusted with his unlife and with the life of his child.

"Spike I'm—"

Fred's apology was short lived by the worried father.

"Don't." He said harshly as he turned around to search for Kayla.

*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, Spike was pacing back and forward in Angel's office with Kayla's small arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him like a lifeline and crying into her father's shirt. The combination of darkness and creepy noises in the Wolfram and Hart basement upset her to no end.

"It's alright love…" Spike whispered in her ear before he finally decided to take a seat on the sofa. He let his body relax for a moment, relieved that his number one girl was safe in his arms again.

However, the fury and tension started to build quickly when Spike looked behind the little girl's shoulder to see his grandsire, Gunn, and Wesley standing near the door watching them.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"It was an accident Spike; you think Fred wanted this to happen to Kayla? For real? She loves that little girl as if she were her own…we all do."

"…I know…but at the moment I'm not too fond of anyone…"

"It was an accident…Kayla's fine."

Two days had passed since the incident and was the first time the two vampires talked without the little girl being in earshot. Spike kept glancing to the far side of the room where Lorne and Kayla were looking at a book together. It was ironic; it seemed that out of the whole group, the green demon was now the highly favored choice for Spike when it came to looking after Kayla.

"Fine? You call a happy little girl that goes suddenly mute fine?"

Angel gave a worried glance over to Kayla before asking, "She's not talking?"

"Just barely."

In response, the old vampire hung is head down and rubbed the back of his neck. Even though he knew deep down that this wasn't his fault, Angel still felt guilty. He was now starting to think that he not only had the curse that caused Buffy pain, but her daughter as well.

"I'm quitting."

Angel raised his head and looked a little thrown by the statement.

"Quitting?"

"It's either the firm or her…and to be honest, I wasn't very fond of Wolfram and Hart in the first place."

"Spike, you can't think—"

"This was just a close call Angel, and one close call is still one too many. Next time, next time I don't want to even know—I don't even want to think about what could have happened to her."

Angel didn't want to think about it too.

"So… what are you going to do?"

"Why do you care?" Spike asked coldly.

"Because I do, Spike." Angel said with a hard tone that matched Spike's, "I care about Kayla, she's Buffy's daughter and I want what's best for her."

"What's best for her is take her and leave here and never come back."

"And that will solve all your problems?"

Spike knew it never would, but he had to do something. This environment, this city, was not something he could handle anymore. He couldn't go on helping others when it was his daughter that needed him the most.

"It would be a start. It will keep her safe." Spike answered as he looked back over at Kayla.

"There is no such thing as safe."

"No shit Peaches" Spike snapped quietly, "But out there is a hundred times better for her than being around the likes of this place."

"I think you're wrong. We have resources…we have teams of—"

"You have nothing and know it…"

Kayla looked up from her book and over to her father when she heard his voice start to rise.

"Uh…Spikster…" Lorne spoke up nervously, feeling he needed to interrupt the conversation for the sake of saving Kayla from hearing something she didn't need to hear.

Angel and Spike turned to see that the little girl was looking at them with a look that stood expressionless.

"Umm…Lorne, there is some popsicles in the lunch room…" Angel hinted.

"Gotcha…come on kiddo…"

Kayla took Lorne's hand and left without a word. Both of the vampires were silent, lost within their own thoughts, before Spike continued on with, if it was actually possible, more harshness in his voice.

"You have nothing to offer my daughter but an early death like her mother."

"I didn't kill Buffy Spike." Angel said firmly.

"No…but your "resources" and "teams" couldn't save her either."

"Fine…if this is what you want then fine…tell me where you want to go and I'll handle it…get the jet to—" Angel turned around and made a reach for the phone.

"No, I'll find my own way."

"You won't even accept my help?"

"I don't want you to know where I'm going…I don't need a trail left behind for your lackeys and god knows what else to sniff."

"Fine, leave. Take her away from the people she loves and live with the guilt in that hollow chest of yours knowing you've brought her more pain. She'll resent you for it later."

"You always hurt the ones you love…but at least I know the pain I'm causing her will allow her to live longer."

*~*~*~*~*~

The next day Angel went to Spike's place when he received a call from Lorne that said the blonde duo were gone. The small two bedroom apartment was stripped of all his personal goods. The only things that were left were the furniture.

As Angel turned to leave, he walked past the table and spotted something shiny and gold. On top of a scrap of paper sat Kayla's necklace. Angel lifted the chain and pocketed the tiny cross.

The note read as followed:

'_Work on your own salvation…mine is not for sale.'_

_End note: Holy moly what the heck happened? After three years I finally decided to pick up and do something with this? What is wrong with me?!  
_


	23. A New Start

**Chapter 23: A New Start**

**Yorkshire, England…**

Willow was in the middle of teaching a class to a group of newly called Slayers when she got a message to meet some visitors. Thinking that it may be Xander and Dawn, flying in from Rome or Cleveland to surprise her for her birthday next week, the red head had a smile on her face as she opened the door to her office.

"Willow!!" Kayla yelped happily as she jumped off of Spike's lap and threw her arms around the witch's legs.

"Kayla?!" Willow muttered in confusion as she bent down and received a big loving hug from the little girl.

"Hey Red" Spike muttered from Willow's office chair that he was occupying.

"Well…this is a surprise…" Willow said with a nervous smile as she looked between the blonde pair.

*~*~*~*~*~

Willow and Spike watched through the two way mirror as four Slayers played with Kayla on the balance beam in the large training room.

"Wish you called me and gave me a heads up that you were coming." Willow broke the silence as she turned to look at Spike.

"And say what? 'Help me Red, help take care of my kid?'"

"Spike, there is nothing wrong with admitting that you need help…everyone needs help from time to time."

"Ya…but I've been relying on you too much…"

"I love taking care of Kayla…Giles does too…"

Spike nodded his head; he knew that the Scoobies didn't think of his daughter as a burden to their everyday life. When Kayla was little there were constant fights of who would take care of her. From what he heard, Giles thought the little girl was his grandchild. It was merely the fact that he wasn't doing his job as 'the father' when he handed over Kayla to Willow, Giles or Dawn.

"Where is Rups?"

Willow cracked a smile at the nickname for Giles, "He's in Cornwall for the weekend...will you be sticking around for the next few days?"

"Ya, why?"

"Because Giles will be kicking himself if he learned that he chose this one weekend to go away and he missed seeing Kayla."

Spike gave a small smile too at the thought of the old Brit pouting over not seeing a child.

"So, where have you been since you left Wolfram and Hart?"

"Here and…well…here basically" Spike muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. After his big speech to Angel about going some place that he'd never find them, well…it seemed that his speech lost all meaning now.

"Well, you know you're welcome to stay as long as you like…"

"I don't want to impose."

"Well you're not because I just invited you." Willow argued.

"I don't expect you to play mother to her this time Red…I'll be here so she won't be a bother."

"You know, you're lucky that I think you're a decent guy now, because I am this close…" Willow held her fingers close together that only a gap smaller than an inch was showing, "…to turning you into a punching bag that the Slayers train with."

Spike rolled his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I like having her here?"

"I don't know…a million." Spike joked as he left the room and entered the training room. Kayla was practicing her cartwheels and laughing. Spike smiled at his daughters sudden burst of happiness that he hasn't seen since the basement incident, "Hey munchkin, how do you feel about staying her for a while?"

Kayla's eyes lit up, "Really?"

Spike's heart melted on the spot, "If you liked."

"Yay!" she squealed and ran up to hug her father's legs. When Spike bent down and picked her up Kayla asked, "You're staying too right?"

Spike blinked and then frowned a little bit, "Of course…where else would I be?" he whispered.

"Back in L.A…"

Spike's frown deepened,"Love, I'm not leaving you ever again…ever…I go where you go. Okay?"

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Mad at you? Kayla…why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I went into the basement."

"I wasn't mad love…just…you know your not suppose to wonder off and I just got so scared when you disappeared."

"So you're not leaving me here and going away?" she asked again.

Spike sighed and turned to look at Willow, who was giving him a sympathetic look.

When he turned back to address his daughter he decided he needed to have a much longer talk with her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

When Spike exited the bedroom that was officially Kayla's whenever she lived in England, he leaned his back against the door and looked up the high heavens and muttered, "I really needed you on that one love…"

Whenever it came to delight situations with his daughter, like the one he was just in, Spike always thought that Buffy could have somehow dealt with the matter better than he could have. He was already dreading the teen years when his sweet little girl turned into a hormonal monster.

"How'd it go?"

Spike turned around and saw Willow walking down the dark hallway with a cup of tea in her hand.

"Alright…I hope." Spike shook his head and sighed, "I always doubt myself on these types of things."

"Spike, as long as she knows your not leaving her and that you love her then she'll be okay."

"Why would she think I would leave her again?"

"Spike she's four years old. Plus, the more we protect her from the lives we lead I think the more confused she gets…so she doesn't really know what's going on."

Spike nodded, "Right…"

"Umm…I hate to change the subject but umm…" Willow looked down nervous inside her cup of tea, avoiding Spike's eyes.

"What?"

"Well…sleeping arrangements need to be settled for you exactly."

"Please don't tell me you're bucking me with Giles or Andrew."

Willow bit her lip and shook her head, "Well…you don't have to…I mean you can stay with Kayla if you like…we just need to find a cot…"

"Great…another cot that is narrower than French fry" Spike muttered sarcastically.

"Or…"

"Or?"

"Or…we…we have one other room."

*~*~*~*~*~

The door creaked as Spike turned the knob and pushed the door open. Willow stepped ahead of him when he didn't move. She flipped on the light and looked around the abandoned room.

"It…it hasn't been touched in a while…in the beginning, before Rome, she lived here for about a year…even when she moved to Rome this was her room when she visited…" Willow explained as she saw some dust on the mirror, "…I don't think anyone cleaned the room at all…"

Spike took a step forward into the large room and eyed a few objects—a bottle of perfume, a sweater hanging over a chair, a bra hanging on the door knob to the entrance of the bathroom.

"I'll get some clean sheets for you tonight and bring in the cleaning supplies tomorrow so you can—"

"No…"

Willow glanced over at Spike when he interrupted her.

"No…" he said again, "Don't touch anything…I'll…I'll take care of it if I want to."

"Spike, you don't have to stay here." Willow said quickly, "I—I don't know why I even showed you—"

"It's alright Red." He whispered as he came up and placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that she didn't do anything wrong, "I…I'm glad you showed me."

"You are?"

"Yes." He said firmly, "Thank you for…for not getting rid of anything."

"It's Buffy room…" Willow thought that that was all the explanation she needed. "Cleaning it up and packing everything away just felt…"

Willow let her words hang there in the air.

Spike took a deep breath and walked off to Buffy's vanity table. Her hair brush still had strains of hair in it, the cap to the bottle of perfume was unscrewed and resting beside the open bottle, a little note with her handwriting on sat still next to a pen. Spike smiled at these things instead of cried, it felt like she was still here. How could he be upset with Willow for that?

TBC....hey what do you know, i still have ideas :)


End file.
